The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-09
THE BIRMINGHAM AGEHERALD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY g, 1920

the citizens of the United States wish to limit their obligations they therefore propose to themselves to play a small part in the League 0f Nations. IT they enter the League as willing partner with limited obligations it may well be that American opinion and American action inside the League will be much more fruitful than if they entered as a reluc- tant partner who felt that her hand had been forced. It is in this spirit. in this hope. and in this expectation that think we should approach and are just- fled in approaching consideration of American reservations
 QUALIFICATIONS ADMITTED
 q do not deny that some of them are material qualifications of the League of Nations as drawn up at Paris or that they must be disappointing to those who are with that covenant as it stands and are even proud of it, but those who nave had the longest experience of political affairs and especially of treaties knew best how often it happens that difficult ties which seem most formidable in anticipation and on paper never arise in practice. 1 think this is likely to be par ticularly true in the working of the League of Nations. The difficulties or dangers which the Americans foresee in
 it will probably never arise or be fslF by them when they are once in the league. And in the same way the weakening and
 injury to the league which some of it's best friends apprehend from the Ameri- can reservations would not be felt in practice.
 If the outcome of the long contro- versy in the senate has been to offer CO., operation hi the League Of Nations it would he the greatest mistake to refuse tha: cooperation because conditions are attached to Ii. and when that eo-opera- ton is accepted. let it not be accepted n a spirit O. l,essimism
 "The most vnal considerations are that representatives should be appointed to the Councl Of the League of Nations by all the raticns that are members of the council; that these representatives should be men who are inspired by the ideals for which we entered the war, and that these representatives should be instructed and supported in that same spirit of equity and freedom hy the governments and public opinion cf the countries which are now partners in peace. If that be the spirit in which the Council of the League of Nations deals with the business that comes before it, there need be no fear that the reIfre sentativeA of the United States on that council will not take part in realizing the hopes with which the league has beer founded
 COMMONS RIGHT TO VOTES
 There is one particular reservation which must give rise to some difficulty in Great Britain and self governing do- minions It is that which has reference to the six British votes in the assembly of the League of Nations. The self governing dominions are full members oh the league. They will admit, aiSl Great Britain can admit, no qualifica tion Whatever of that right Whatever the seif-governing dominons may be in the theory and letter of the constiCu- ton, they have in effect ceased to be colonies in the old sense of the word, They are free communities, independent a-s regar1s their own affairs, and part