The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1919-06-23
Knox Demands Time to
Study Covenant
to League
Would Make Piece Treaty and
Covenant Separate
issues

Senator Knox yesterday. in a
two-hour speech, opened the
battle for his resolution calling
for the amendment of the Trea
tv by the Peace Conference so
tthat the League plan can be con-
sidered by the Senate without
compelling it to delay ratifica-
tion of the Treaty of Peace. In
reply to the charge Of partisan
ship that has been made in con-
rection with the resolution Mr..
Knox said:
IF to stand for the equal
rights Of the Senate as a CO.
equal part of the treaty max
ing power is a manifestation of
partisanship. then | am a parti-
san; if to demand that the peo-
pie of the United States have
the right to make up their own
minds as to whether or not they
shall put themselves under the
domination of the balance of the
world is partisan, then I am a
partisan; if to regard our free
institutions as the greatest in
strumentalities of government
which the world now possesses
and, therefore, worthy of pres
ervation over all others which
exist in the world is a manifes-
tatlon over all others which ex-
lst in the world is a manifesto
OF partisanship, then, thank
God, am partisan.
Senators of the opposition.
you may make this a partisan
issue if you choose but, if you
do, you must pay to the Ameri-
can people and their posterity
throughout all time the penalty
which they will exact"
Mr.. Knox indicated, yester-
day, that he is determined
either to get a vote on the reso-
luton or else to arrange for a
round robin" carrying the
signatures of the supporters of
the resolution. In one way or
the other he proposes to let the
members of the Paris Peace
Conference know that more
than one third of the Senate
enough to reject the Covenant
is opposed to the ratification
Of the Peace Treaty with the
League project as a rider.
It is to be hoped that the plan
for the separate consideration
of the Peace Treaty and the
Covenant will be successful,
since otherwise it would seem
that there must be a prolonged
delay and possibly a failure to
ratify the Treaty. In any event
the League of Nations plan
must be considered with the
utmost care before it is either
accepted or rejected, for both
horns of this remarkable dilen.
ma are fraught with grave peril.
If we sign the Covenant we
must sacrifice. in a measure at
least, our national sovereignty;
while, if the League is actually
formed and we refust to become
a member, then, under the ex-
traordinay terms of the Cove
nant, the League will neverthe-
less assume jurisdiction over our
affairs just as ful-
", and even more ruthlessly
and automatically than if we
should become a member. It
thus appears that, if the League
plan is rejected by this country
5he only feasible course for
would be to endeavor to
prevent the formation of the
League altogether; Or to at
,empt to destroy it entirely; or,
falling in that, to make an Of
'ensive and defensive alliance
With other nations which refuse
o sign or can be induced to
abandon the League. To say
he least the prospect is not an
INVITING one, and a very heavy
weight of responsibility rests up
IN those who have brought
about this enomolous and dan
rerous crises. We do not ques-