New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1919-12-06
SAVE THE TREATY.
League Calls for a Compromise
on Reservations That Will
Make Possible Early Rati-
fication.

Enforce Peace, as determined at
two recent meetings Of tn Execu-
tive Committee, is that the Peace
Treaty is in grave danger Of final
rejection and that Treaty, even
with all the reservations attached
by majority vote Of the Senate, is
better than no peace and no
League Of Nations.
The League is on record in two
public statements urging ratifica-
ton at the earliest possible mo-
ment, with notifications Of the
Lodge reservations, if they can be
| obtained, which will make it cas-
Ter for the other signatories Of the
Treaty to accept our conditions.
The League favors ratification,
however. even if it is necessary to
| accept all the Lodge reservations
to get the necessary two-thlrds
vote.
The League advocates particu-
larlv a modification of the pre-
amble of the Senate Foreign Re-
lat'ons Committee report, in the
i belief that in its present form. it
is an unnecessary insult to our
Allies. and that their acquiescence
in the reservations can be better
assrred in the customary way, by
| silent consent.
Reed Reserv"ti""' nef"'A-'
A special committee represent
ing the League in Washington
during the treaty debate just be-
fore the Senate adjourned made
an unqualified demand for the de-
feat of the Reed reservation (No.
15) which would have nullified
the Treaty. This reservation was
beaten by a vote of Sc, opposed, 10
&c. in favor. The Leagues attl-
tude toward the other reserva-
tions is expressed in the following
statement which was presented to
/ the Senate on November 18th, and
! read into the Record:
Statement Issued in Washington.
Those reservations remaining
have their objections, and some
are harmful; yet they leave a COW
enant which will create an. etfi-
cient League equal to the task OF
preserving the peace Of the world.
A League of Nations which en-
force and make more secure the
peace of the. world is the object
for which the League to Enforce
Peace was organized, for which
it has labored through four and
one-half years, and for which
alone it exists.
The Treaty, even with the res
ervations now adopted, can ac-
complish this purpose, and should
be ratified. There is no adequate
reason why it should not be. The
world waits. Delay is perilous.
Any action which casts the Cow
enant for League of Nations for
peace into the partisan politics of
a Presidential election will delay
peace and halt political reorgani-
zation and. economic rehabilita-
tion of nations sorely smitten by
war, by winter and by famine.
The League to Enforce Peace,
speaking for the great multitude
which has labored for this SUI
preme end, sensible Of it's respons-
ibility, calls for the immediate
ratification of the Treaty, even
with it's reservations. but it isl
most important that the preamble
be changed by removing the ne
cessity for positive action on the
reservations by nations definitely |
named, and contenting ourselves
by acceptance in the ordinary
way by silent acquiescence within
a time limit.
Failure to ratify the Treaty now
would defeat the worlds hopes
for peace now and always. Such
q failure would throw the world
back into worse than rpre-war
conditions by re-estahlishing
balance or hostile grouping OF
powers with an increasing burden
of ornaments.
If the League be once estab-
lished and permitted to function
with our country as a member
the foundations of a new world
order would continue to grow IN
henefcent stability, securing for
al nations. great and small. peace
with justice.
Children Cry
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