The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1919-05-20
Opposition to League
Probable in
Senate
Republican Majority in Senate
Likely to Insist Upon
Amendment of
Covenant

1t is evident that there will be some
rough Shedding for the Covenant of
the League of Nations when it
reaches the United States Senate
Opposition in that body is rapidly
developing. Senator Knox seems to
have sounded the key note of the
campaign in his statement yesterday
to the effect that for the Senate to
approve the Covenant in its present
form would mean suicide for our ma
tional sovereignty. He insists-and
in this he is supported by many of
the ablest Republican lawyers in the
Senate-that certain sections of the
proposed Covenant constitute an ex-
tremely dangerous abridgment of the
fundamental powers of our govern
ment, and that amendment is neces-
sary to protect Americas control
over her own domestic interests.
1t may, Of course, be possible for
opposition to the Covenant to as
sumo a p6rely partisan aspect and
go beyond the bounds of reason. but
it is certainly highly desirable that
this supremely important matter be
considered and discussed exhausti-
vely by the Senate before final ac-
ton is taken. Serious-minded men
everywhere, regardless of party affi-
liation, are willing to accord to Pres
ident Wilson full credit for his eff
forts to set up international coopera-
tive machinery calculated, if prperly
conceived and wisely operated, to
promote the peace and welfare of the
world; and doubtless in other coun-
tries. where people do less thinking
and have less to say about the man
agement of their governmental af-
fairs, the Covenant will be regarded
as a great boon and accepted without
question. Such action in America
would, however, not only be unfor-
tunate for ourselves but it would
be unfair to the rest of the world.
Every real American knows, and
the other people of the world are
rapidly coming to understand. that
we have here in this country the
best form of government that the
mind of man has yet conceived. The
whole world also knows that our
guiding purpose in international at
fairs is devoid of selfishness. And
it is because of this universal belief
in the soundness of our government
al system and ideas and this condi-
dence in our motives that the Peace
Conference Representatives of the
nations of the world accepted with
so little question the League-of-Na-
tions plan as presented to them BY
President Wilson. They accepted
the Covenant not as the plan Of Pres
ident Wilson, the individual. but as
conception of the American people.
and in this view they were in mes-
sure correct; for the President has,
IN seeking to bring about interna-
tionai cooperatin for. the purpose OF
insuring lasting peace, unquestion-
ably voiced the desire OF the people
It is fortunately true. however,
that the Covenant itself. even in its
amended form, is not the direct pro-
duct of the American people as
whole; in fact it is little more than
President Wilson's personal and
rather hasty guess as to what the
people of this Ecountry desire to un-
dertake in the. way OF international
cooperation for the preservation OF
world peace. 1t could hardly, be
otherwise when, prior to- President
Wilson's first trip to Paris, there
had never been any serious nation
wide thought or discussion as to the
question of League Of Nations and
no opportunity. for the crystalline
tion of American views on the sub
iect. Indeed this proJect-which ln-2
wolves the supremely important ques-i
tion of the advisability of surrender
inc, to a certain extent at least, our
national sovereignty has never be-
fore been placed fairly and squarely
before the American people for full
and deliberate discussion and deci-
sion moreover the ovenant was
framed without any Of the advise
and consent" of the United States
Senate such as is reqdired by our
Federal Constitution. 1t is, there
fore, of the greatest importance that
there shall be the utmost freedom OF
discussion on the sabiect. not only