Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-23

for the council to determine whether
it Is domestic. That clause of AR.
ticle XIV we change, and we ought
to have changed it, so far as we
are concerned.
Wilson's Conception of League
when the president was in Paris
and accepted from the French Acad
envy a degree he declared his con.
ception of a league of nations to be
my conception of a league OF
nations is just this: That it should
operate as an organized moral force
throughout the world and that when
ever and wherever wrong and ag'
gressions are planned or contem-
plated the searchlight of conscience
ought to turn upon them and mer
everywhere will ask: What are the
purposes you hold in your hearts
against the fortunes of the world?
THUS it was not the presidents
plan to oragnize league of nations
where force was to control. There
seemed to be not a thought then OF
a resort to physical force. There
seemed not to have been in his MIND
when those words were spoken any
effort to put an obligation upon this
wars Of the world without regard
to independent action by congress
at the time they were to be sent.
"All the moral power that this
government could have given is re-
tanned in the treaty-obligatio to
arbitrate, the obligation to refer
questions to the council, the obliga-
ton to refrain from war for three
~ he a o1.1 =
the obligation to accept or at least
to go to war not at all if one of the
parties to the arbitration or to the
decision did accept, and then If one
goes to war despite this obligation,
it is declared to be an act of war
against all the balance of the mem
bers of the league.
ut is left with just as much power
as I would dare it be left with. If
hesitated in my judgment, it is as
to whether there is not too much
power still left.
What Is Eliminated
Now, let us see what has been
eliminated. Let US consider some of
the reservations. No one who believes
in the League of Nations, no one
who believes in the power of asso-
to prevent war, can question that
there is left in the league covenant
a vast power for good. Those who
do not believe in it at all may OBJ
ject, but those who advocate a league
find here provisions stronger than
we have even contemplated before. I
believe it may do good; I believe in
the moral power, the suspension of
action, the agreement to refrain
from going to war, the opportunity
for cooling time, the probability that
we may escape war by negotiation
and by adjustment.
What are the reservations, and
why should any friends of the cove
nant hesitate to vote for them?
cannot understand how anyone who
believes in the covenant can for a
now hesitate to support rati-
tlcatlon. First, we know that there
will be no chance to modify these
reservations in any substantial way
in twelve months. We know that at
the end Of that time there are thirty
six senator's who remain in the senate
for two years longer who will op-
pose the modifying of the reserva-
lions in any substantial way. We
know, furthermore, if we are willing
to look the truth in the face, that
there will be just as many of the
senators who are elected this fall
in favor Of vigorous reservations as
there are now"
Senator Mccormick, of Illinois, in
and asked, Il would like to
ask the senator if he recalls that he
said recently that with the lapse of
time the league and the treaty be-
came progressively more unpopular
IN this chamber and in the coun-
.ry?"
II did not say that" said Sena-
tor Smith. II will advise the sena-
,or tina: [ did say, that when the in
strument first reached the United
States there were many more peo-
Die in favor of ratification without
than there are now, but
hat the conviction that reserva-
tons were necessary has grown
stronger and stronger with the lapse
IF time and I repeat that statement
low.
II believe large majority of the
American people favor ratification
If the league covenant with substan-
tally the reservations that are now
presented. 1 believe there is a small
that would reject it alto
gether, and pe".ldIs a small minorit;
hat would be willing to take it with
out reservations at all, but 1 believe
he middle ground represents the
thought of a large majority of the
people of the United States"
AS to Domestic Questions.
During Senator Smiths speech Sem
ltor King, Democrat, asked:
IT want to invite the senator's at
ention to the fact that the asser-
ion was made constantly, if not by
Mr.. Wilson, at least by many who
we're at the peace conference, that
here was no intention that any ar
.icle of the projected league-this
vas before the treaty was formed
md even afterwards-or that any ar
.icle Of the projected covenant
md after the covenant was form
ID, no article in the covenant
which was intended to restrict any
;ignatory to the treaty in the eXer-
Use of control over it's proper and
legitimate domestic affairs. OBJ
1iously, those men who were at the
peace conference knew that no ma
ion would commit to an interna-
ional tribunal the determination of
is domestic and Internal affairs.
Does the senator think that the
provision in the treaty which seems
% commit to the International tri-
Jul al the determination of whether
t is domestic or not is III violation
If the pre-eonvention understanding
,S what the terms of the treaty
should be, and in cort"avention Of
he constant affirma.:.) Is after the
of Versailles as to hat
he objects and proposes of the
;ceaty ewere; and does not the sena-
or believe that it was The attention
IF Mr.. Wilson and the intention Of
Ill those who participated IN that
great convention not to restrict the
to the treaty IN any of
heir proper and legitimate domestc
mt internal affairs?:'
Senator Smith replied;
II thank the senator for asking
ne the question. He states correct
V aS recall It the discussion