The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-08-12

established by twenty-nine natlonS)
and bearing and deserving the con-
tempt of the world, would submit an
entirely new project. This act would
either be regarded as arrant madness
or attempted international bosslsm.
"These are fateful times. Organized
government has definite duty all over
the world. The house of civilization
is to be put in order The supreme Is
sue Of the century is before us and the
nation that halts and delays is playing
with fire. The finest impulses of hui
mainly, rising above national lines,
merely seek to make another horrible
war impossible. Under the old order
Of international anarchy war came
overnight, and the world was on fire
before we knew 1t. 1t sickens our
senses to think of another.
Ratification First Duty.
1.-THE first duty of the new admins
tration clearly will be the ratification
of the treaty. The matter should be
approached without thought Of the bit
terness of the past The public YER
dict will have been rendered, and am
confident that the friends of world
peace as 1t will be promoted by the
league will have In numbers the con-
stitutiOnal requisite TO favorable sena
torlal action. The captious may say
that our platform reference to reserva-
lions is vague and indefinite. It's mean
ing, In brief, Is that we shall state
our Interpretation Of the covenant as
a matter Of good faith to our asso-
clates and as a precaution against
any misunderstanding in the future
The point Is that after the people shall
have spoken the league will be In the
hands of its friends in the senate, and
a safe index as to what they will do is
supplied by what reservations they
have proposed in the past. Some
months ago. In a contributed article to
the New York Times, ! expressed my
own opinion of the situation as 1t then
was I reproduce it here:
""There can be no doubt but that
some senators have been conscientious
I'm their desire to clarity the provisions
of the treaty. Two things apparently
have disturbed them: First, they want
ed to make sure that the league was
not to be an alliance, and that its basic
purpose was peace and not controver-
sy. Second, they wanted the other
powers signing the instrument to I'M
derstand our constitutional limitations
beyond which the treaty-making pow.
er cannot go, Dealing with these two
questions In order II has always seem.
ed to me that the Interpretation Of the
function Of the league might have been
stated in these words:
In giving its assent to this treaty,
the senate has in mind the fact that
the League Of Nations which 1t EN-.
bodies was devised for the sole pur-
pose Of maintaining peace and comfy
among the nations Of the earth and
preventing the recurrence of such de.
struCtiye conflicts as that through
which the world has just passed
The cooperation of the United States
with the League and its continuance
as q member thereof, will naturally de-
pend upon the adherence Of the
League TO that fundamental purpose.
"SuCh n declaration would at least
express the view of the United States
and Justify the course which our ma
tlon would unquestionably follow II
the basic purpose of the League were
at any tine distorted. Ii would also
appear to be a simpler matter to pro-
vide against any misunderstanding In
the future and Mt the same time TO
meet the objections Of those who be-
lleye that we might be inviting a con.
troyersy over our constitutional rights,
by making a senatorial addition In
words something like these:
ut will Of course be understood
that In carrying out the purpose of the
League, the government of the United
States must at all time act In strict
harmony with the terms and intent OF
the United States Constitution which
cannot In any way be altered by the
| treaty.maklng power
Helpful Additions Not Barred.
"unquestloned friends of the
League have made other proposals,
our platform clearly lays no bar
against any additions that will be help.
ful, but It speaks In firm resolution
TO stand against anything that dis
turbs the vital principle. We hear II
said that interpretations are unnneces'
sary That may be true, but they Will
at least be reassurlng to many Of ouI