The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-02-19
WOULD BE SURRENDER
OF AMERICAN RIGHTS
If the United States Were to Enter the
League of Nations, Declared
Senator poiudexter.


Washington, D. G., Feb. l9.--In the
first prepared address on the league of
nations delivered in the Senate since the
constitution of the proposed league was
made public, Senator Poindexter Of
Washington, Republican, to-day declared
the entrance of the United States into
the league would mean a surrender Of
American rights, privileges and soVer-
eighty, the abandonment OF the Monroe
doctrine, and violation Of the consti-
tuition The constitution of the league,
he asserted was conflicting, indefinite
and uncertain, and the machinery which
it proposes to set up, similar to the
soviet government of Russia
mo such colossal burden or entangling
alliance was ever before conceived in the
world, the senator said. .'Instead of be-
ing an instrument of peace it is the fer
tile seed Of war-the dragons teeth from
which, when sown, armed soldiers will
spring"
Through participation in the drafting
the leagues constitution, the senator de-
clared, the United States had been led
to point where ''we are now facing an
abyss. If the Senate should ratify the
proposed constitution and sanction the
entrance of the United States into a
league of nations, without submission
of the question TO the American people
in a political campaign where it shall
have been made the issue and upon which
they viii have an opportunity to render
Judgment in an election" he declared,
"then self-government in America will
have disappeared"
'Tn adopting or rejecting this consti-
tuition" said Mr.. Poindexter, "and there
by becoming or not becoming a member
of the league established under it., the
government and the people of the United
States will determine whether they are
to remain the great sovereign and in
dependent nation, a people controlling
their own destiny, determining for
themselves the extent of their military
preparations, the size of their armies and
nayies and establishing for themselves
their International relations; or whether
they are to merge their destinies with
those Of other nations Of the world, shar-
ing their burdens, participating in their
quarrels and becoming party to all in
ternatiOnal complications"
Referring to the request of President
Wilson that Congress refrain from dis
cussion of the league until he could
meet with the foreign affairs commit
tees, Senator Poindexter asserted it was
matter of too much Importance for
us to remain altogether silent" and that
no harm can be done by full discussion
of a document of which the world was
purposely kept in entire ignorance until
it came forth full-panoplied, as though
born from the head of Joye"
Taking up the provisions of the
leagues constitution, the senator de-
| elared that the document contained no
provision for its abrogation or for the
withdrawal OF a nation. He said that
doubtless the leagues advocates would
contend that the agreement might be
abrogated at any time but such, he said,
was the contention OF many of the
states which Joined the federal union,
only 20 learn differently through the
bloodshed of a civil war"
BY the terms of the constitution, he
continued, the decision as TO the relative
reduction Of the army and navy of the
United States in proportion to that Of
the great rival powers, would be taken
absolutely out of the jurisdiction Of the
people and government of the United
States and vested in the jurisdiction OF
the league, where the United States has
| but one vote amid a large number of
alien powers" This in itself, he added,
would be in conflict with the constitu-
ton OF the United States.
The power Of Congress to declare war,
he said would be taken away, also in
violation of the constitution, and vested
in a tribunal 'the great overwhelming
majority of which is composed of aliens
| to our interests and institutions The
league promises little guarantee for fu-
ture peace, he asserted, when those who
! drafted its constitution have mot been
able to restore present peace or set up
orderly government in central Europe
and Russia"
Under provisions of the constitution
providing for manufactures for colonial
! territories, Senator Poindexter said the
| United States would be required to 'un-
dertake, practically unsolicited and un-
sought, to extend our responsibilities and
cares to the uttermost parts of the
earth"
While taking up the obligations of
government in Asia, Africa and Europe,
the United States, he said would surren-
der to Asia, Africa and Europe, American
policies which have been the prize jew
els in the American diadem of state.
Declaring that the emergencies of the
past which necessitate assertion of the
| principles of the Monroe doctrine may
arise in the future, Senator Poindexter
said he hoped the American people had
not reached the point where they were
willing that "the high ideals of these
traditional doctrines would be left to the
administration of an alien tribunal es-
tablished under the league of nations