New-York tribune., 1919-04-13
Resolution Declaring That
Action Should Be With
held Until Draft Is Given
Out Adopted at Meeting
Little Opposition Shown
Wickersham Amendment
That Advocated Revision
of Covenant Is Defeated

The question Of the league of ma
tions covenant agitated the State Bar
Association yesterday at special
meeting at az West Forty-fourth
Street. A report by the special COM
mittec on international arbitration,
which stressed the widespread demand
for such league, called attention to
the fact that any such covenant must
be compromise document and ex-
pressed approval of the proposed con-
stitution with the suggestion that
subscribers have the right to withdraw
after suitable notice and that the Mon
roe Dostrine be recognized, was with
drawn in favor of an amendment made
by George w. Wickersham.
Mr.. Wickersham advocated revision
of the covenant to remove antiquities
in phraseology and its amendment $50
as practically to secure" international
law as the rule Of conduct for nations;
so as to reserve to each member Of the
league the right of withdrawal upon
notice and the right to handle its own
domestic affairs, sincluding immigration,
tariff and coaStwise traffic, and so as
to safeguard the Monroe Doctrine"
Amendment Defeated
The WicksFsham amendment, which
was even more definite in the stipula-
tions demanded, was finally defeated
and another, presented by William D.
Guthrie in the form Of an anne ndment,
was adopted as resolution to express
the attitude Of The State Bar Associa-
tion.s This resolution, which states in
effect that the association should re-
frain from expressing an opinion until
the constitution of the league had as
sumed definite form, follows:
"Resolved, That this association ad
heres to it's approval heretofore cx-
pressed of the fundamental principle
underlying league or society of ma
tions and recommends the creation
thereby of q court of arbitral justice
and council of conciliation and ade-
quate methods of procedure for the
settlement of the rules OF international
law, but that it is inadvisable at the
present time to express it's judgment
tuition for league of nations sub
mitted by the peace conference at
Paris, because it is reported that the
draft thereof is in process Of material
amendment and revision, and this as
sociation should not attempt to ex-
press the expert opinion or deliberate
judgment of any part of the profession
in regard to the most important action
the nation has ever taken In it's for
eign relations until the terms and pro-
visions of the proposed J. covenant or
constitution are finally determined and
fully published by the American rep
resentatives." ..
Little Opposition Manifest
Intense interest in the question was
evinced by all who attended the meet
ing. 1t was evident that opposition
to the league of nations project had
few adherents among those present and
that they differed only as to whether
the state bar should be committed to
the covenant in its present form.
The question of an international po-
lice force was dwelt upon in the report
of the special committee on interna-
tonal arbitration. 1t was pointed out
that the creation of such force had
been advocated since 1915 by the as
sociation. 1t was pointed out also that
the creation of such force was said
to be a demand of France. Never
less, the committee said, the need for a
league was so great, the demand for it
so general and the fact that any con-
stitution must be the result of COM
promise in which cherished points
were surrendered was so obvious, that
it regarded the proposed covenant as
acceptable, providing the amendment
proposed were included.