The copper era and Morenci leader. [volume] (Clifton, Ariz.) 1911-1929, 1920-01-23
WHAT THE SENATE is FIGHTING

WHAT THE SENATE is FIGHTING
With the treaty of peace in full
force since last Saturday and the
League of Nations holding it's first
session yesterday in Paris, it is per-
missible to remind the United States
Senate few things which seem to
have escaped its notice.
The Senate's quarrel is no longer
with the President. The treaty is
no longer subject to amendment. 1t
Is contract duly executed and abso-
lutely binding upon its signers. The
covenant of the League of Nations is
no longer tentative programme. 1t
is an accomplished fact, and, what is
more. the United States is subject to
it and, whether a member or not, may
at any time find itself under arraign-
ment at its bar.
Article XVII of the covenant pro-
vides that in the event of a.dispute be-
tween a member OF the League and
state which is not member, or be-.
tween states not members, the state or
states not members shall be invited to
accept the obligations of membership
for, the purposes of such dispute, sub
ject to the rules governing the League
II state shall refuse to accept such
Invitation and obligations and shall
resort to war against member of the
League, the provisions of Article XVI
shall be applicable against such state.
That article places such a state in
the position of covenant-breaker is
deemed ipso facto to have committed
an act of war against all the other
members of the League. The first
remedy is the severance of all trade
Or financial relations with the delin-
quent and the prohibition of all finan-
cial, commercial or personal inter
course between its nationals and the
nationals of any other state, whether
a member of the League or not In
support of this policy the Council is
to recommend to the several Govern
ments concerned what effective mill
tary, naval or air force the members
OF. the League shall contribute to pro-
tect it's covenants
Nobody pretends that the League eJf
Nations is omnipotent or perfect, but
1t is in existence IN spite Of obstruct
tionists at Washington, and there is
reason to believe that with wisdom
and good conscience it's faults will be
cured and its influence rapidly ex-
tended. Every speaker at yesterdays
memorable function recognized that
war-stricken world was only feeling
fits way toward a guaranteed peace.
There was no boastfulness There was
full appreciation of difficulties yet to
be encountered Better than all else
In such an enterprise, there was faith
and hope.
Thus the Allied Powers are irrevo-
cably committed to the document as
fled in the French Foreign Office and
they cannot erase or add a syllable,
even if they would. If the United
States Senate amends the treaty with
the Presidents approval, it will have
to go to Germany alone for sanction.
No other nation can reopen the mat
ter. If the Senate consents to the
treaty with certain interpretations
which it may hold do not change its
terms, even then the President must
accept them or there is no treaty so
far as the United States is concerned.
1t follows that the quarrel of the
Senate obstructionists is with the
whole civilized world. They are at
outs with our associates in war. They
are at variance with the neutrals. They
are pickering with the nations iber-
ated in part by our arms and by us
guaranteed independence. Accord
ing to all the evidence at hand, they
are at war also with a vast majority
of the American people. Why keep up
the miserable pretense that they are
engaged in controversy with Mr..
Wilson? They are fighting the forces