New-York tribune., 1920-09-19
Republicans to
Center Attack
On Article X
Will Make 1t Target for the
Rest of Campaign; Want
Coxto TellWhat He w Would
Do With Heart of League
Poindexter Analyses Il
Says No Explanation Can Be
Clearer Than Language
Contained i'm the Clause

From The Trtoune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1S.--Article X,
the heart Of the Wilson League Of Ma
tions covenant, is to be the target for
Republican attack during the rest of
the campaign.
kilograms from leadcrs all over the
country indicate that they are anxious
to force Governor Cox to explain what
he would do aoout this section of the
covenent which guarantees the terri
torial integrity of league members.
They are rather disappointed at his
having been afforded an opportunity
to discuss, as though it were a great
debatablc issue, the world court eues-
tion.
II Governor Cox happens to agree
with the ;epu readers about the
deslrabl!ty OF world court, they
point out, he should nc be permitted
to harp on this as though it dcmon-
strated that the Republicans are not
consistent. The big difference between
the two parties is on what the Presi
dent has repeatedly characterized as
the heart OF the covenant, Article X.
The idea now is to keep pounding on
this question of Americans being
igated-lega.ly or morally, it mat
ters not which-to go to war in Eu-
rope or Africa or Asia to protect the
boundaries of some league member,
without the United States Congress
passing on the quarrel and determining
whether the United States should en-
ter the war.
PolRdeXter Issues Statement
In line with this determination. Sem
chairman of the committee which is
fighting for the election of a Repub-
lican Senate, issued the following
statements:
1T cannot be made any palmer than
the language of the article itself, whicn
ls: The members of the league under
take to respect and preserve as against
external aggression the territorial in
tegrity and existing political independ-
encC II all members of the league 1t
would have no effect in actual results
except to obligatc the United States as
a guarantor Of the possessions Of all
nations. All the world would then, OF
course, have the right to call upon the
United States to fulfill its guarantee,
while all tho world, on its part, would
consider itself free to do as it chose
under the cXigencics OF each case.
Tins section has been called by Presi-
dent Wiison the heart Of the league,
and it is proclaimed as though it were
q divine dispensation Of u new order
for the conduct of human affairs. 1t is
said that it will preserve peace and
establish justice. All of this, however,
falls rather fatty to the ground in the
face OF we'll known experiences.
The only difference between this ar
ticle and the treaty of nuctrality Of
Belgium of 1889 is that Article X uses
the word undertake. and the Belgian
treaty uses the word guaranteed Any
BODY VIII agree that so far as words
and treaties and the constitutions and
covenants and idcalistic and Utopian
talk and dreams of world peace and Of
government Of the world by universal
agreement are concerned, the word
guarantee" is just as large a word,
just as good and effective {. word as
'undertake' There is no magic signit'-
canoe in the word undertake. as used
IN Article of the League of Nations
which will bring about a divine state
of peace, good will and justice upon
earth, while the word guarantee in an
equally definite treaty of all the great
European nations in 1885, in regard to
Belgium, was cast aside as scrap of
paper by the German Chancellor. The
one was not aDle to prevent war or
have the slightest effect in that direc-
ton; neither viii the other.
Cur Moral Obligation
"If we undertake. the obligations Of
Article y it is rather futile and dis
cred!tahlr Tor Democratic leaders to
gay that Congress will be free to PEI
form its obligations or not, as it sees
tit. At Che same time, President WI.
sons says, or did say, at his conference
with the Senate committee, that We
hn III
which is the highest kind of obiigation
Their argument, however, is that We
could repudiate this highest kind OF
NOR | obligation if we saw fit The
people Of the country will judge for
themselves of the standards of an ad-
ministration which makes such prop
osition to the world. The world has
already judged that, and the dis-cstccn!
whlca 1t has brought for the present
Adm "!strnuon is the consequence
The great nations Of Europe an,,
may Of the South American counties
have already entered into this agree.
ment, bat acme Of them, except France,
has gone to the rescue of Poland, an
original member of The League of Ma
tions. France obviously went to tn.
rescue of Poland to the extent hat shc
did go on her own national initiative
and for the protection Of her own vital
interests and not in any sense as a
member Of or under the advice of the
League O. Nations. The League Of Ma
tions, in this first conspicuous instance
of the application of its terms, was
worse than complete failure. IN
stead of that unity of action which il
was supposed 70 bring about, the Brit
lsh representative at DanNg refused to
allow the un!oa ling of munitions Of
war sent by its colleague in the Leapuc