The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1920-10-05
LEkGuE OF
NATIONS

NAIlUNS
Much has been said about the
League of Nations. pro and con. II
is claimed by the Democratic sup
porters Of the league that it will
abolish war forever. Just how this
will be done is not made clear, e
cept, as they say, 1t will force all
international questions to be placed
before them and discussed for nine
months, before any definite action is
taken by the opposing principals to
the discussion.
The league is composed of an AS
sembly, consisting of all the nations
who are members, which in the case
Of Great Britain, includes her self
governing dominions and colonies
all of whom have equal voice and
vote upon all questions-and a Coun-
Gil, the higher body, consisting of the
great powers Cat present FOUR, Great
Britain, France Italy and Japan, to
which it is desired to add the United
States.
For any act of the Assembly to be-
come binding, it must be passed
unanimously by the Council.
There is the arrangement. 1t reads
very nice and harmless, on paper,
but
Surprising the United States and
Canada should come to some diff
Guilty over a technicality of nayiga-
ton in the Great Lakes, or the st.
Lawrence river. The matter is SUBJ
mitted for arbitration before the AS
sembly.
Both contestants must state their
case in writing, but neither can ar
que nor vote upon it, according to
the rules. 1t is debated and voted
upon by the balance of the members.
four of whom are representatives of
the British Empire, while America
has neither vote nor voice o rep
resentation.
Then. let us suppose that there are
two votes plurality against us and.
according to the majority rule. give
Canada full concurrence in her con-
tention.
The finding is referred to the
Council. Here the United States has
a vote, but in order to complete the
decision of the Assembly, the vote
of the Council must be unanimous.
Suppose each of the other members
of the Council vote in accordance
with the report of the Assembly, the
United States only demurring.
Under those conditions, the sup
position is that the league will use
FORCE to compel the United States
to abide by its decision. That spells
WAR, doesn't it? There you see the
possible result of allowing Great
Britain five votes to our one.
Great Britain and Japan have a
secret treaty, now in force and eff
feet. II the problem of Japanese i'm
migration is presented to the League
of Nations under the above conditions
it can be readily seen that we will
have to consider England as a strong
factor in settling our purely eco
nomic question with JAPAN. which
independently we will be able to
solve ourselves, but, making an in
ternational controversy of it. may
compel us to resort to arms to gain
u point. Doesn't sound much like
ending war, does it?
Now, under Article X. Consider
the language: I'm case of threat or
danger of aggression Ito any of its
members) the Council shall advise
upon the means by which this obliga-
ton shall be fulfilled" The mem
bers AGREEING and UNDERTAKE
ING to protect the territorial integ-
rity of each other"
If we enter the league, we must
be prepared to take and act upon
the advice of the Council, likewise
STAND OUR SHARE of the costs.
If the Council decided that the United
States send troops and money to
make war against Russia. to protect
Poland; we would have to do it or
WELSH.
The Democrats say hat the word
advise" grants us the right of
placing the matter before Congress
in accordance with our Constitution
That would make our Congress
merely a rubber-stamp for the Coun-
ell, as in such case, Congress would
be morally OBLIGATED to use the
language of the covenant to take
their advice. What real American
would place his highest legislative
body in that position?
Where the league has had a chance
to act, it has failed, as witness the
D.Annunzio ~escapade in Fiume. While
the Assembly may be perfectly will
ing to wait and discuss a problem for
nine months, how about the PEO-
PIE? What is to prevent them from
taking the matter in their own
hands and ACTING as the Italians
did? The league, which vas in force
and effect at that time. merely
shrugged its shoulders and did
nothing.
A few days ago we read in glaring