The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-10-21
HIDING SOMETHING
FROM THE VOTERS
Hon. Jonathan Bourne Exposes Some
Deception on League Of Ma
lions Issue

Washington, Oct. 2l.-Exposing de
ceptions of the League of Nations AS
ISOLATION. the Republican Publicit.
Association, through its President
Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr., issues tn,
following
"A League of Nations Association
cooperating with Democratic candi
dates has issued a bulletin which un
dertakes to defend the League OF Ma
tons Covenant by telling what it doe,
not do. Among other things the bull
letin says.
THE League OF Nations is not un
changeable. Its Constitution may b,
readily amended and doubtless will
be as occasion demands. Any nation
may withdraw from the League by
giving two years notice
"The provision Of the League Gov
enant itself regarding amendments de.
clares:
Amendments to this Covenant will
take effect when ratified by the mem.
bers of the League whose representa-.
tiyes compose the Council and by q
majority Of the members of the League
whose representatives compose the
Assembly
This means that the vote of the
Council must be unanimous and that
in addition there must be a majority
of the members of the Assembly fav.
orable to the amendment. That is the
provision under which the League OF
Nations Association declares the Con.
stitution may be readily amended.
Since the real purpose of the League
is to get the United States i'm a posi-
ton where il must Dear the burdens
Of the world it will at once be mani.
fest that other nations represented
in the Council would not consent ia
any amendment which would relieve
the United States from obligations II
had been induced to ssume 1t would
be readily possible to amend the
League Covenant by increasing the
burdens placed upon the United States
but there would be a prompt hitch
in the proceedings If there were al
1ffn1nnf IN ralinun tho ITnffnd Ctatae
from any of it's undertakings.
"The League of Nations Association
also asserts that Any nation may with
draw from the League by giving two
years notice.
But that is not what the Covenant
provides. Article 1 contains the fol
lowing:
ANY member of the League may
after two years notice of its intention
TO do, withdraw from the League, pro
yided that all it's international oblig
atoms under His Covenant shall hav,
been fulfilled at the time of its with
drawal.'
"The defenders of the League asser
that any nation may withdraw by Civ
ing two years notice, but fail to adj
the provision contained I'm the Leagu,
Covenant. This Is a clear attempt [,
deceive the people by emitting tn
most vital part of the quotation. TIL
condition is not that the nation desir
ing to withdraw shall have fulfilled III
obligations up to the time of givinl
notice, but up to the time OF its with
drawal, which would be two years al
ter the time of giving notice.
"If the United States as a membe
should find itself embarrassed AM
should give the two years notice
there would be a two years perio'
during which those nations havinI
control Of the League Council an
Assembly could add to the obligation
of the United States and prevent il
withdrawal, except in a n tina
would probably precipitate war-witl
the United States ON one side and tn
combined strength OF the other Leagu
members o the other. The attemp
of the League of Nations Association
to mislead the voters by quoting onl
a part Of the section of the Covenan
relating to withdrawal erves to EN-
pnasize the vital importance Of thi