Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-06-26
Military Force Clause
Weakens League, When
Moral Means Should
Be Used, He Says.
Republican Party Will
Secure Advantage by
Undertaking Promptly
to Ratify as Changed.

New York, June 25.-Speedy ratifi-
cation of the treaty Of Versailles, after
the elimination of Article X of the
league of nations covenant was herald
ed by Herbert Hoover in a statement
Friday by Evening Post as the platform
on which the Republican party should
stand in the coming presidential efec-
ton.
Mr.. Hoover took the stand that i'm
piled threat of employment of military
force to guarantee the integrity of for
eign states was out of place in league
which he declared was ''the product of
the liberal radicals of the world
The leagues power, he declared would
be more potent if the threat OF military
force were removed and the league re-
lied wholly upon it's moral and econo-
mic power"
"It appears to me to be the time to
raise the question said Mr.. Hoover,
las to whether this same cause l refer
to-the guarantees and the use of mill
tary force-that has brought about the
dlssension in the United States is not
also undermining the league in Europe.
s"s~* Has not experience and discus
sion shown that the time has arrived to
reconsider this part of the league foun-
dation?"
The basic need for such a military
alliance" Mr.. Hoover pointed out, was
to control states which persist in arm
ament which renders them capable Of
aggressive action
He declared, 1.-The first and foremost
duty of the league" was reduction of
all ornaments and he suggested that
Americas continuance as q league
member be conditional on the achieve
ment of reduction within a specified
time.
Mr.. Hoover declared that sooner or
later the United States must ratify the
treaty of Versailles in some form. and
that talk OF negotiating a new treaty
was bunk"
Treaty Is Charter Small Countries.
The treaty of Versailles" he said.
"is the charter of independence of Po-
land, Czecho- -Slovakia and Finland, and
the warrant of increased national ter
ritory of several great nations.
1t is the guarantee of the disarmament
of four great autocracies, and no Eu-
ropean nation is going to risk their re-
vival. 1t is mortgage upon the enemy
states and they are not going TO offer
the opportunity to Germany, Austria
Hungary. Turkey and Bulgaria, to es-
cape their debts by intrigue at new
THE league of nations covenant is
an essential part of the treaty. 1t
possesses two functions:
Title TO Mandates.
First, it gives the title to mandates;
it today governs certain peutralized
areas ramifies the score of details of
settlement with enemy states.
Its second function is its provisions
for prevention of future war. The first
phase can no more be opened than the
treaty itself. The second function re-
lates to the future and is subject TO
amendment; it can be amended by the
league organization itself.
In the face of these conditions he
concluded. cannot the Republican party
strengthen its own position by adopt
ing the definite constructive policy of
ratification subject to the minor reser-
vations and a wider vision of strength
by the league by excluding the guaran-
tees and their military enforcement, and
making membership in the league condi-
tional upon disarmament within a given
period? Such policies will protect
American independence, free us from
every ENHANCEMENT except the use of
our moral and economic strength to en-
force peace It will leave our Demo
cratic friends fencing upon the ground
of advocacy of a practical military al
lance upon which their safety devices
only further endanger the real value of
the league"