The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-04


fpeace without which Il viii b notl-
| inr but paper and cannot be enforced.
We are not q Stacker nation and we
don't intend to be. We helped fight
this war. Our allies had been fight
| Ing for three years before we joined
| the war. Then we came In ana helped
them win 1t. Our Intervention per-
haps was necessary to win the war.
but our obligation to them for what
they did for US continues. and 1t would
be a Stacker policy on our part II just
when 1t was necessary to reap the
fruits Of the sacrifices and efforts OF
all tho nations. we withdrew and
failed by our withdrawal to clinch the
purposes Of the war.
NO TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY
There Is no transfer of sovereignty
under this league to the executive
council or body Of delegates The exc
cutive council or body OF dele
gates. The executive council only
recommends and proposes and ad-
vises. 1t does not command or direct
or order. The main attacks upon the
league rest entirely on the claim than
the word Recommend" means to
command" that the word advise"
means to direct" and that the word
propose" means to order. This is
utterly unwarranted and strained con-
struction Of the league which every
fair-minded man must see. The obli-
cations of the United States and the
other nations under the league are
not fixed by the executive council.
They are created by the words of the
treaties. Congress has the power to dis
charged and performed by congress.
the constitutional agent OF the United
States Is meeting its obligations under
treaties. Congress has he power to dis
honor such obligations, but 1t Is q dis
honorable course for congress to pur-
sue. The treaty making power per-
mits of entering into such obligations.
We have done it before. We have
agreed to make war and we have
agreed not to make war. in treaties.
We have agreed to limit our arma-
ment upon the Great Lakes between
us and Canada If we levy a boycott
it Is for congress to levy it and to de-
for levytng the boycott under the
obligations of the league. In other
words. there is no change in the form
OF our government by reason OF our
performing the obligations Of the
league of nations.
1t has been charged that under the
provisions for the selection OF the
executive council and the body Of
delegates, Great Britain will have
more influence than any other nation.
The active body through which the
nations express their will in the league
is the executive council. The nations
act through their own governments
in the discharge Of the obligations of
the league. but the executive council
recommends to the countries what 1T
fS n than "a
do what they think it is proper and
wise to be under their obligations.
In this executive council the British
empire has one representative and
only one. Therefore, the charge that
with respect to the activities of the
council. England has any greater
power than the United States or any
other nation represented in that
council is not true.
POWER OF DELEGATES
With respect to the body of dele
gates this should be said. The body
of delegates consists OF from one TO
three delegates representing each
member of the league. but no member
/ OF the league has HInre"than one
vote. 1t is provided, however, that
| self governing dominions like Canad
| and Australia and the Philippines may
! be admitted as members of the league.
Therefore 1t might be that in the body
of delegates Great Britain would have
one vote, Canada, X admitted. would
have another and the Philippines
another, In which case if Great Britain
could influence the votes of Canada
and Australia. she would command
three votes. and IL we could influence
the vote of the Philippines we would
command two votes. Moreover, II
Cuba and Panama were members, as
they are likely to be, we would have
very strong influence with them to
whom we are tied through intimate
association. But the body of delegates
does not play a very important part
in the machinery of the league. II
has the function OF electing. by a
/ two-thirds vote. new members of the
league. 1t may act as a mediating
body in which its importance de-
ponds upon its reaching a unanimous
conclusion In recommending a. settle
ment between quarreling nations. II
the vote Is not unanimous 1t is inef-
fective. 1t has the business of de-
termining whether past treaties are
inconsistent with the league obfiga
lions. AS compared with league
activities. these three functions are
comparatively unimportant. More
litdn lItdt, tIie iitOSt ltIlBof tdttt Oiic "
them. to-wit, that OF recommending
la settlement. is dependent on unani-
nifty in the body OF delegates. The
fact that England might have in.
fiuence with more states than Tho
! United States could not bring about
unanimity in the body of delegates
because any one nation could destro,
that unanimity and so destroy the
weight and effect OF report OF set
Element. More than that. skhe rea,
son for admitting self governing
dominfons is because 1t is supposed
that their interests may differ from
that Of the mother country. as indeed
they do. but this is very small
reason for maintaining that Great
Britain is to secure. through the body
OF delegates, which has so little
power. controlling influence in thu
Ileogue.
Tho Monroe doctrine, as we are
advised by cable, is specifically re-
served In the terms OF the league for
our maintenance of it. OF course we
shall have to meet obligations under
this league. or course there will he
some burden connected with it. A
league of nations means something
that binds nations to do something tc