Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-06-26
The Journai's Plan

The Journals Plan
The Kennebec Journals suggestion
on June II. was that the United
States in its ratification serve notice
that it will withdraw at the end Of
two years from such date, reserving
the right to rescind such withdra wal
notice. II. prior to the expiration Of
two years. such amendments have
been adopted as will make it desir-
able for the United States to continue
as = member. or the light Of time
upon the Covenant itself shall have
removed the present opposition.
We formulated Q simple provision
to convey our meaning as follows:
1.-THE United States submits the
following amendments which il Dc.
sIrss adopted by the League 81 Ma.
items In aeeerdanes with Article 2e
81 the Covenant.
"t hsrsby sivss notice, in accord.
anes with Article I Of che Covenant,
81 10 intention 10 Withdraw from che
League Ia i've years from this date,
unlsss these amendments or such
notifications thereof a. Il may ae.
eept within said period, are adopted"
The adroit phraseology Of Mr.. Root
seemed to follow that plan. but bis
Qualifying resolutions" do not cotl-
tain provisions for withdrawal at the
end Of two years If the League Coun.
Gil fail to meet the reservations Of
the United States. On tho contrary
he would remove his reservations
from the jurisdiction Of the League
Council and send them to the Peace
Conference as amendment. that must
be met by all signatory powers.
To go to the extremes which care
full analysis Of Mr.. Roots suggestion
reveals, the whole proposition would
become absurd. For, if each Of the
other nations should make similar
reservations, and each nation should
demand that no purely French
question" or purely Italian cues
ton" or purely any other nations
private kettle O. fish question" be
exempt from consideration, and each
nation to be sole Judge of whether or
not any dispute was purely lis oues-
tion." what would be tn. value Of a
league Of nations?
The first necessity Is to get a
League Of Nations, the Council Of
which would deal with all these Diff
ficulties instead Of retaining the
Peace Conference until greed or poll
itics or selfish interests can effectu.
ally kill off the league. With that in
mind we still cling to our proposal
for ratification. AT ONCE, with res
ervations to be met by the League
Council. and failure to meet our res
ervations should constitute with
drawal Of the United States.
That is Roots plan, but SO consti-
tuted as to make a league Of nations
possible. whereas his reservations"
going to the Peace Conference as
amendments are we'll calculated to
kill the League. Our desire to vital
ize the League Of Nations ideal has
been the sane. practical. unbiased,
nom partisan position from the start
that the Covenant was imperfect:
that 1t could be, and should be,
amended Through the agency pro-
vided by the Covenant ITSELF: that it
must not be lost; that its loss would
write the failure Of our sacrifice;
that statesmen and diplomats could
md a way If they would: that we
had no justification for such sus-
ptcions Of all our associates as GER
tain interests pretended; that mill
tarism or militarism's degenerate
Offspring (war munitions greedy must
not again bind down to pack horse
drudsery the millions Of worlds peo-
pie who produce and who pay for
ornaments and preparedness and
military drones and the social snob-
berry Of army and navy ohicialdom;
that progressive reduction Of armies
ana navies can and MUST replace
progressive competition in readiness
to destroy oil human rivalry; that
war profiteering must die with Prus-
sianism. and autocracy. and King
Alcohol. and male assumption of
brain supremacy and governmental
domination.
All these and other reasons have
been presented from the first appear
ancs Of the Covenant for a League Of
Nations. But the entrsnched forces
Of opposition to- these accomplish
ments determined to destroy the
Covenant and all which it is hoped
to accomplish under q smoke screen