Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-05

SENATOR'S SERVE NOTICE.

Thirty-sevcn republican senators
signed a resolution Monday night,
declaring they will not ratify the con-
stitution of the league of nations as
now drafted. 1t is known that from
six to ten democrats will vote with
them. The following republicans did
not sign the resolution, but Senator
Fall telegraphed authorization yester-
dey, as did one other senator, making
a total of thirty-nine:
Senators Colt, Rhode Island; Fall,
New Mexico; Jones, washington; Kel-
logg, Minnesota; Kenyon, Iowa; La
Toilette, Wisconsin; McCumber, North
Dakota; McNary, Oregon, Nelson,
Minnesota and Norris, Nebraska, and
Senators-elect Capper, Kansas, and
Elkins, West Virginia.
How these republicans would vote,
should the resolution be presented to
them. we do not know. Seven more
than enough to prevent ratification
signed the resolution as notice both
to the president and to the rest of
the world that the proposed covenant
must be amended.
The senators signing the resolution
said it was their desire that the ma
tons of the world should unite to pro-
mote peace and general disarmament"
But they object to the covenant for
a league Of nations in it's present
form.
So far as gathered from the
speeches and interviews of the repub-
lican senators who signed the notifica-
ton, they want the following points
definitely settled in advance:
!. once a member of the league of
nations, could the United States with
draw?
9 Would we surrender i'm any way
the Monroe doctrine?
3. Would we surrender any of our
rights regarding regulation of immi-
grafton?
4. Would we surrender any of our
rights regarding taxation of imports?
). Would we be obliged to police
any European or other country not in
the western hemisphere?
G. Would internationalism extend
to regulation and control of the Pan
anna canal?
The after-dinner discussion of the
league of nations covenant at the
White House failed to clear the at
mosphere of doubtings and question:
ings. Doubtless all of the senators did
not meet the president with open
minds. But the main fact to be kept
before us is that the explanations and
interpretations were necessary. This
implies that the language of the cove
nant is not clear. 1t permits opposite
conclusions from the same set of
facts.
AS the president interprets the cove
nant, its workings will not impair the
sovereignty of the United States, or
to our traditions and policies, But
suppose, after the covenant is duly
signed and sealed, a test comes. What
assurance is there that the presidents
interpretations will be the ones
adopted by the league and by its di-
reeting body, the executive council?
1t will then be too late for us to
protest that such was not our under
standing of these matters. We shall
be forecosed from objections. The
author of the white slave act" pro-
tested that congress never intended it
to be construed as the courts cons
strued it.
The president asks us to rely upon
the moral forces of the world" to see
that the leagues DEGREES are righteous
and that they are enforced. But the
following provision in the covenant
tells how it would have to be
amended:
Amendment to this covenant will
ldht tlltCL w Htil Wy liI1 Sidtt1
whose representatives compose the ex-
ecutive council and by threefourths
of the states whose representatives
compose the body of delegates"
Regardless of what interpretations
may be made, there can be no amend
ment except through agreement of
Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan,
the United States and whatever other
four states are admitted to the execu-
tive council, and then it must be APP
proved by three-fourths of all the
states in the league.
The covenant may be all that the