Pueblo chieftain., 1921-01-09
MARK SULLIVAN SAYS
AhT|.LEAGUERS MAY WIN
CONTINUED 44em Page oneo


Mccumber of North Dakota. Last
winter he was the lone Republican who
was willing to vote for the League
without any reservations. Last week
Senator McCumber called on Harding
and notified him that he had abandon
over toward the irrecohcilable group.
Furthermore several Democratic sena-
tors. notably Shields, of Tennessee,
have moved over toward the irrecon-
cilable position.
All in all the new senate is much
more likely to be dominated by tho
irreconcilables than by those who are
friends Of the League in any degree.
Since Senator Knox is one of the
three acknowledged leaders of the lr-
the plan which he formally laid be-
lore Harding last week Senator
Knox's plan leaves the League wholly
out of Consideration. His program is
as follows First, Immediately after
March 4. Senator Knox will introduce
/ with Germany.
This resolution will Undoubtedly
pass the senate.
The passing of the Knox resolution
will end the state of - with Ger
many and clean UP everything con-
ground for the next step. The next
step is really Senator Knox's equiva-
lent for our entrance into the League
Of Nations. He PROPOSED either as Il
part Of the resolution already de-
scribed or as new resolution to intro
duce the following.
at is the declared policy of the
United States in order to meet fully
and fairly our obligations to ourselves
and to the world that the freedom and
peace of Europe being again threaten
ed by any power or combination OF
powers. The United States will regard
such situation with grave concern
as a menace to its own peace and
freedom, will consult with other pow
ers affected with a view to devisinE
means for the removal of such menace
and will the necessity arising in tho
future cooperate with the friends OF
civilization for its defense That IS
Senator Knoxs substitute for our en-
tering the League of Nations.
This Knox plan is not of course a
League. 1t is not a treaty or anything
else of the kind. 1t is mere public
official declaration of policy. Senator
Knox himself admits this. In argu-
ing for it he says 'avowed by public
official declaration it might prove
worthy I believe to serve with the
Monroe doctrine as fundamental doc
trine of American diplomacy. 1t en-
tanrles us in no way"
At this point arises an interesting
question. Does this proposal of Sena-
tor Knox to which / am satisfied the
Republican senate will attempt to re-
strict Senator Hardings plan does It
fulfill the repeated promise made In
Senator Harding's campaign speeches
that he would take steps to bring
about AN Association of Nations in
the interests of permanent peace.
| II Senator Harding assents to this
proposal from the Senate. and does not
go any further than his proposal does,
can he then be regarded as having
lived uu to his campaign pledges? This
point evidently worried Senator Knox
n little. for. in the course of his argyll
ment in favor of his proposal, he
said
The declaration of a policy such as
Indicated. followed by a similar declar-
alton y other nations, would consti-
tute an Association of Nations bound
together by n common purpose that. as
have said on another occasion
neither parchment, sealing wax. signa-
lures nor blue ribbons could mako
more obligatory or effective
That constitutes all that is now al
firmative and formal in the senate
proposal with regard to our foreign re-
lations. But certain other things are
contemplated separately. What these
other things are can be discovered
from another paragraph in the nrSu-
ment which Senator Knox made to
Senator Harding 1t reads: such {,
ferc with the codification OF interna-
tional law. The creation Of a court to
decide international differences of \
T. stifiable character, the appointme II
of commissions to investigate political
questions that threaten war for the
purpose of enlightening the public
opinion OF the world upon the merits
OF the question involved. or any otncr
measures. including disarmament. that
might bs agreed upon by the nations
to lessen the probability OF war
It is apparent, therefore, that inc
senate proposes that theer shall go
forward. subsequently to the passage
of the Knox resolution and separate
from II and from each other, certain
negotiations leading to these things
which Senator Knox says his resoiu-
ton does not Interfere with: namely
an agreement FOR disarmament, an
agreement to codify international In =
an agreement creating all international
court. and an agreement Tor commis-
sions to investigate questions threaten
ing war. These latter things, appar-
entity. 1t is intended 10 take up slowly
and gradually. probably over n series
of years.
At this point arises the question:
What will the League do about it,
Will the League insist on going on
ana fulctioning even with us out?'
Even II the Harding plan should
depart from the Knox plan and Il
Harding should make an issue with
Knox and his senatorial followers
Harding will lose and Knox will win.
Knox will win because Knox has put
his plan in the shape of n resolution.
think he must have done so con-
sciously having this strategy in mind
A resolution can be passed by a ma
jority of the senate, Hardings Ian
If it goes farther than Knox's and in
wolves agreements with foreign ma
Z tons, can only be passed by two
thirds of the senate.
- is Is how the League situation
now stands.