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Show 'SENATE DEBATES" NATIQNUEAGUE Lewis Favors Public Opin-I Opin-I ion for Enforcement i: of Decrees. Borah Desires to Know Who Will Control the Tribunal. ' U'A.-WIINCTO.V, Dec. 6. There was gene nil discussion In the senate today ion the proposed league of nations, with ! Senator Lewis of Illinois, Walsh of Mon-: Mon-: tana and Williams of Mississippi, Democrats, Demo-crats, supporting such an organization, and Senators Dorah of Idaho, Republican, and Reed of Missouri, Democrat, opposing oppos-ing It. Few senators followed the discussion, discus-sion, the a vera Re attendance during the . duy being about thirty. The resolution of Senator Cummins of Iowa, Republican, proposing appointment Of a senato committee to go to Paris : and keep the senate Informed on events ' Ht the peace conference, was not brought up toflay because of the absence of Its ! Author. The senate adjourned tonight Minill next Tuesday, when the war reve-. reve-. nue bill will be taken up with the right of way given U. Peace discussion, however. how-ever. Is expected to continue during the debate on this measure. To Enforce Decrees. . Senator Lewis opened the debate today bu delivering a prepared address. He asserted that public, opinion rather than 'armed force must be relied upon to enforce en-force the decrees of the league of nations, na-tions, and said that the successful operation opera-tion of the league may give greater cause '.for apprehension than Its failure, because i ;of the demands that may be made by one i group of nations on nnother. He said, , however, that he believed the benefits to be derived by all nations from the league would compensate for any sacrifices that ', might have to be made. ' Replying to Senator Iewls, Senator jftotah declared he had "yet to discover ' n nv. person who is willing to follow the llfHgiuj to where they admit It will go If ; followed to Its logical conclusion." .' The Important questions Involved In forming the league. Senator Borah said, are those of jurisdiction and power of the tribunal and the embodiment In It of the necessary powers to enforce Its rulings. . "No man," he contlnueo. "has yet been willing to say that he would givo this tribunal the power to render judgments -and to give the police force to enforce it." Senator Borah asked what the league would amount to unless it were given power to enforco its judgments. ''And if it does render a judgment for the purpose of preventing war," interjected interject-ed Senator Reed, "and has the power to n force that judgment, how is it going , to enforce that judgment without making i'war?" " Exactly, " replied the Idaho senator. f;ilfour,s Proposal. Senator Borah said that A. J. Balfour, British foreign minister, has been quoted s favoring the league-of -nations-, -but -he said the kind of league proposed by the British statesman "seems to inn as nothing noth-ing more than an old ladles' quilting society." Reading from a statement on the league ' made hy Mr. Balfour last August 1. Sena- , .top Borah said the foreign minister re- I jects the proposition for an international ! court and enforcement of decrees through ; economic pressure, ridicules universal dis- 1 armament and regrets universal arbitra tion. i Former Ambassador Bryce and the'Earl ' of curzon also appear to think that the ! league should not have military forces un der Its control nor power to limit nations' "armament, said the senator. Supporting the league, Senator Walsh suggested Senator Borah desired to have the United States in a position for another an-other territorial grab." "The senator understands me just ahout right," Senator Borah replied. "I'm willing to leave to this country its policy to be determined by the Intelligence of the people. I'm willing to trust their sense of justice and right rather than a tribunal of other countries. 'Ho the people of the I'nitcd States want their Interests determined by Tur-kev Tur-kev and Asia and racfts of Europe absolutely abso-lutely different in national aspirations ;nvl idea '.x. fir to do business under the i pojcy of til" father of their country to k .- free from entangling alliance!?" 1 a:-k-d Sena t or Borah. St-nafor Wash said he, too, opposed allowing small nations to have an cr:al voice In dicta.: ing armament or orher vltM policies of the great powers, and that represents t Ion in the ieaf?ue was one of its principal problems. But lie pointed out that it t he I'nlted States submits Its Important questions to the league, the same obligations would be placed on other oth-er signatories. "And give Costa PJca, Nlcaramia and Bulgaria, for Instance, the right to determine, deter-mine, the size of our army and navy ?" asked Senator Borah. 1 i sarin a rnent. Senator Walsh re pi ied, should not tie dictated by the smaller nations, na-tions, but, he declared, is a noeossary preliminary pre-liminary to the league's establishment. It n'iould "be effected, however, by separate trentv, he said. "Who Is to control the tribunal?" asked Senator. Borah. "What say are the people of tliis country to have as to what control lliey are to have? "Who is going to keep it from getting under the control of a Bismarck?" Senator Williams of Mississippi, Democrat, Demo-crat, concluded the day's debate by reiterating re-iterating arguments in favor of the league's establishment. |