The Keota news., 1920-08-13


manity, 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 hre
before We knew Il. Il sickens our
senses to think Of another.
Ratification First Duty.
Tho drst 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 a. Il will be promoted BY the
league will have In numbers the con-
stitutional regulate TO favorable sena'
ioriai action. The cnptious may sny
that our platform reference to reserva'
lions IL vague and indefinite. Its mean
Ing. In brief. 10 that we shall state
our Interpretation Of ~shs covenant as
y matter Of good faith to our asso'
ciates and ~ precnuti0n against
any misunderstanding In the future
The point IL that after the people shall
have spoken the league will be In the
hands Of its friends IN the senate. and
u safe index ~ to what they will do 10
supplied BY what reservations they
have proposed In the past. Some
months ago. In = contributed article to
the New York Times. ! expressed my
own opinion Of the situation ~ Il then
was ! reproduce II here:
""rhere cnn be no doubt hut that
some senators hnve been conscientious
IN their desire to clarity the provisions
"f the treaty. Two things apparently
lave disturbed them First. they want:
-d TO make sure that the league was
not TO be an alliance. and that Its basic
purpose was peace and not conirover.
~. Second. they wnntcd the other
powers xixning the instrument to un.
.icrxtand our constitutional Limitations
beyond which the trcaty.mnking pow.
-r cannot 90. Dealing with these two
questions In order. II has always seem.
csl TO me that the Interpretation Of the
function Of the league might have been
stated In these words:
"'ln giving its assent to this treaty.
the senate has In mind the fact that
the League Of Nations which Il cm.
hotlics 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-.
structive conflicts a. that through
which the world has just passed.
The cooperation Of the United States
with the League and its continuance
~ member thereof. will naturally d..
j,end upon the adherence q the
League to that fundamental purpose
such Q declaration would at least
rxpress the view Of the United States
and justify the course which our ns.
ton would unqucstionably follow II
The basic purpose of the League were
at amy time distorted. II would also
appear to bc Z simpler matter To pro.
vide against any m;sundcrsiandinyi In
the future and ai the same time to
meet the objections of those who l,c.
iiess that We might Ike inviting Q con.
troverSy over our constitutional rights.
By making q senatorial addition In
words something like these:
"'lt will Of course he understood
that In carrying out the purpose Of tie
League, the government of the Uniic,l
StnteS must At all time net IN strict
harmony with the terms nnd Intent of
the United States Constitution which
cannot In any way be altered by the
treaty-making power
helpful Additions Not Barred.
"Un0ucStjoned frientls of the
League have made other proposals.