The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-10-15
Article Ten


Johnson and other reactionary leaders
of the Republican party have CEN
tered their bitterest opposition, reads;
"The members of the League
undertake to respect and preserve
as against external aggression
the territorial integrity and ex-
listing political independence of
all members of the League. In
case of any such aggression or in
case of any threat or danger Of
such aggression the Council shall
advise upon the means by which
this obligation shall be fulfilled"
To be against positive affirmative
Is to assume the negative; therefore,
those who would vote to eliminate
this article from the covenant. or so
emasculate it by reservations to to
destroy its spirit and meaning, say in
effect: ave do not respect, and will
not undertake to preserve, the terri
torial integrity of any nation. If
some more powerful nation wants to
invade and exploit some smaller or
weaker nation that is no concern of
ours-unless it is our own OK that is
being gored.
President Wilson has said that ar
ticle ten is "the heart of the cove
nant." And that is true. 1t is upon
the pledge to respect the territorial
integrity and rights of all members of
the League-violation of which is the
cause of nearly all, we might say all,
wars that the whole covenant is
based.
But, assert the critics of article ten,
it may be interpreted to give the
League of Nations the authority to
commander the military force Of any
or all signatories, and that whenever
susch demand is made the United
States would have to send our boys
across the sea to fight and be killed.
How can any one read such mean
ing into the closing clause of the ar
ticle, which says:
"In case of any such aggression,
or In case of any threat Or dan
ger of such aggression, the
Council shall ADVISE upon tire
means by which this obligation
shall be fulfilled"
No authority is given the League
here or in any article of the covenant
to order or command the armed fore
es of its members to do its bidding.
Article sixteen clearly sets forth the
means of enforcing the Councils de-
cisions. First by "boycotting" any
nation that persists in going to war
TO close its harbors; cut off all COM
munication, commercial or otherwise
refuse to trade with it, furnish 1t
with food or clothing or any Of the
means of carrying on war. If this
should not prove effective-which it
certainly would, for no one or two or
three nations could stand for a year
under such ostracism-then section
sixteen provides:
at shall be the duty of the
Council in such case to REC
ommend to the several govern
ments concerned what effective
military, naval or air force the
members of the League shall sew
orally contribute to the armed
forces to be used to protect the
covenants of the League"
Notice that word recommend" No
super government or unlimited au-
thority even hinted at. When such
recommendation of the Council is
made--and which may never have to
be made-then the governments sew
orally respond in compliance with
their own constitutions or laws. In
England through it's Cabinet and
House of Commons, France through
its Chamber of Deputies and Execu-
tive authorities; the United States
through its Congress, the only au-
thority in this country that may de-
clare war, make appropriations for
its army's support. or give the Pres
ident, the Commander in Chief Of the
Army and Navy, authority to send
them anywhere outside the United
States.
The people of the United States
are not a people to shirk a moral or
righteous obligation, but bear this in
mind, the League of Nations is in
purpose and spirit to prevent war
and keep the worlds peace, not to
make or encourage war, and it is the
best and most practical effort that
has ever been made in that direction.
T. d. F.
Mr.. and Mrs. Walter Morris, of this
city, and Mr.. and Mrs. W. D. Wash