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Show 111 FOR Would Preserve Monroe Doctrine and Enlarge American Voting Power Pow-er in Nations' League. Jays That Imperfection ; Should Not Lead to Rejection of Plan and Return to Slaughter. WASHINGTON, March 11. William innings Bryan issued a statement here onigiit indorsing the league of nations, ut Ur nesting amendments to the pro-. pro-. Oicd constitution which, among other - hiiij.", would preserve specifically the y lonroe doctrine, enlarge the proportion-;: proportion-;: te voting power of the United States ntl make it clear that each member na-Ion na-Ion might decide for itself whether it ;,;ouId support decrees of the league's ' cnoral council. While pointing to imperfections, ' Mr. v'irynn urged that they should not be al-'; al-'; wed to lead to rejection of tho plan, -j. eclaring that risks to bo run in accept-ir accept-ir ig tht league were leys than those involved in-volved in rejection and returning "to the ;,' ld ways of blood and slaughter." :I' Mr. Bryan dictated the statement from j! is sick bed at the home of friends, where p !i;if! been confined for njarly three ,.; Tck.s. He said the lenguo of nations Idea, ; ' frit greatest step toward peace in a '; lousand years," was taken from the f lirty arbitration treaties negotiated by , !k; I'nitcd States while he was secretary V'. state. c; kiendly criticism. is Declared as helpful. lEf.'.It was not to be expected, he said, r- Jiat so great an idea would be made per-' per-' i('t in detail in so short a time and added Jfiat. while President Wilson "had done -.10 best he could," ho would be helped ; ' intelligent and friendly criticism from ;p American public. TJ, 'Hip statement follows: e "The league of nations is the greatest ;r ep toward peace in a' thousand years, he idea oT substituting reason for force 0j the settlement of international disputes In itself an epoch-making advance. The institution of the league as announced DviJps for three things which constitute t; themselves an advantage, the impor-t': impor-t': flco of which can scarcely . be esti- iled. Deli bora t ion before war the In-tipation In-tipation of all disputes of every kind : " id character before hostilities begin. W 'Ha almost ends war. The idea is taken "i the thirty treaties negotiated by . f"c United States with three-quarters of ' 7.8 world. MEUICA GIVES BEST ;r ) PEACE MACHINERY. 'l-l,,r nation, therefore, gives to the ;. ec league j;J greatest piece of ma-j ma-j inery. Second, the rcrluclion of arma-will arma-will make it impMhlo for a 11a.-: 11a.-: ' 11 to prepare for war without notifying ,. i, world of lis Inlention, Thiru, l lie ! 1 Jution of secret treaties, which will do '" prevent the cionhin.-i tiotis which f. ,li l" war. If tlie leamin of nations did d' . tninjr n,ore than hroMde these three n-! our nation would he justified in l'"rtli!i; it to the utmost, y if not to he expected that so ere.it I'l'M as the leattue of nations would - ina.le perfect in detail In so short a J .'i' Thorc aro defects that should be ;1 ; reeled, and the fullest discussion of jV .,.s,,, amendmenls should he. invited. "ewsiiapers of ureal Britain, France y ' Italy are not backward in the ex-rl,;:! ex-rl,;:! 'Ssion of their views as to chances f-wld made. Why should the ' leric.ui people be silent V IGCESTS CHANGES . LEAGUE PACT. . fr Ours Is the nation inosi influential in c'1"'' ',nii "!" Powerful because "disinterested, lis people should help ;.- lr,e and frank riis. Mission to perfect id- iV10', The president has done the lr, V'".M' lM" h" " h" UC '"- y idea "l "sm fruni tl,osc friendly to v Lvo "T0 wn '"Tlain amend- Is ihat should, in my judgment, be er i'I, " i",'r"sl of " sironjrer and fi i.ii't C"- H,'s- tl.e basis of repre-eon?" repre-eon?" ' ''i- to the foiled sHates. Th"!",., "( vu,i"K "trencth will J, , wf "r nlton is the most r" im,h '," ,h ''"'"hii-ation, whether j '-' ue. ee '.WHlalion. wealth or moral V- oi , . is no Larger vol than ri.i- lh l , U',- lh,s '"euvialily oucht. If u h-, eorrecled. for justice is . on foundation ,, which !n. .:tion can rest in pemianenl c- ':' in!h' "-'-" of admiss'on to r..:.Hh. " way do.-ireln join bere- Continued on'pase s7 Columu i.) Bli FOR com, WITH IBOIITS (Continued from Page One.) after are not fair. To require a two-thirds two-thirds vote to admit a new nation suggests sug-gests the social club, where a few black halls piay keep out an uncongenial' applicant. ap-plicant. This world league is for the world. The president has well said that our na tion is not interested in a league unless all nations are in it. The qualification qualifi-cation for admission ought to be fixed, and t hen it ought. Lo be made as easy as possible for those who are qualified to gain admission. Under no circumstances should the consent of more than a majority ma-jority be required for the admission of any qualified nation. "Tho faults of the constitution are found to be in its indefiniteness rather than in things positively objectionable. For instance, it is not stated with sufficient suffi-cient clearness that the Monroe ductrine is preserved. Our nation is not asking lo be permitted to assist in the settlement settle-ment of "European disputes, and, therefore, there-fore, it ought not to be asked to give up its paramount influence in the western west-ern hemisphere as a condition precedent to its entry into, the league. As to Mandatories. "Then, loo, it is not sia ted with sufficient suf-ficient clearness that a league member is not required to become a mandatorr. H ough t lo be definitely si ated tha t "a nation asked to become a mandatory is at liberty to accept or decline. Again, i! should be marie clear that the league is j net to interfere in the internal affairs of the nations belonging to the league. The league is for the settlement of international inter-national disputes, not for the adjustment of di fferences between a nation and its own people. - "A no ther matter t ha t should be made elear and nothing can be more important impor-tant than this is that e;uh nation has a right to decide for itself whet her It will undertake the things advised by the gen-ei-H I council. The language of tho const con-st itu I ion. while riot definite, would s--em to indicate that no na tion is required to furnish force to back up a decision of the council. No Doubt Should Be Left. "Hut no doubt pnould be left on (his pubjeeL This nation can not afford to allow al-low a eouneil in whhh it has so small a Vdi'-e lo carry it into war against it-1 will. Our people will have as much sense when the time comes to a.et a.s they have now and they will have more iiu'ht to mMue them. When tn" emergency .-irises and they understand all the ch-cuinMia ncp.s arid conditions, (hex- may be willim: lo a s-s't. s-s't. by force, hut they can not decide in advance or allow a eouneii to de 'jrie for them. "The const it ut ion of the league would seem to imply tho richt of the council !q compel the declaration of an economic hoy cn i t by the members of l he lea ;ue . Toi- is not rjui te so serious as the dec-laration dec-laration of war. but economic boycott is likely ;o develop into a war. and an economic boycott may be pecuniarily a n :a :zeons ;n he nalicns lii.it. want to declare if. On r i nl erects may nut be tdimth'al in this respect, and e ought to have a right lo sac at the time whether we would declare suh a box-cot t. Suesls Wider Scope. "I vniure to Put the S''np' of I h c le.l - i S OI Is no C 1 1 VX ' 1 1 til ( X - L'li i-.-d hcvjii'i ' hat i now i on p a t e I. A suhstitute for war must be able to deal with every situation than can become be-come a cause of war. One of the most fruitful causes of war has been the necessity neces-sity for expansion. Growing nations, feeling the necessity for more room, have often gone to war on some clumsy pretext pre-text when the real purpose has been to secure territory for an increasing population. popu-lation. The right to live is one of the Inalienable rights. It is a primal right th;i t must be recognized in nations -as well as individuals. "Nations exercise the right of taking unused land and distributing it among those who need it. So, if the league of nations is to substitute reason for war, it must be able to deal with claims that are mado for the wasto places of the earth. A nation feeling a need for more territory should be able to go before the league and present its claims, and point j out the territory which it can use to advantage. , Force of Public Opinion. "The council should consider the claim and advise it and the force of public opinion opin-ion should be used to secure such an adjustment ad-justment of inecjuities as would afford a peaceable, means of securing needed territory. terri-tory. Such adjustments could be made the easier if the league indorsed the proposition prop-osition that any nation extending its sovereignty sov-ereignty over new territory should stand ready to purchase the property of residents resi-dents who do not desire to remain under the new sovereignty. The resident does not go with the land. He has rights independent in-dependent and superior to the right to the land. If, against his will, he is brought under new sovereignty, he ought to be able to sell his property without loss, and choose a sovereignty of his own liking. Should Take No Chances. "T have suggested what seemed to me to be desirable changes, some being modifications, modi-fications, some being merely more . explicit ex-plicit statements. 1 conclude as I began, be-gan, that, while we should endeavor to make the league as nearly perfect as possible, we should not allow its, imperfections imper-fections to lead to its rejection. We must take risks, no matter whether we accept ac-cept the league or reject it. The risks that we take in accepting it are less than the risk we take if we reject it and turn back to the old ways of blood and slaughter. slaugh-ter. God grant, tha t those who are intrusted in-trusted with the launching of this great work may have the wisdom to so purge it of selfishness and greed, and so infuse Into the spirit of the Prince of Peace as to make it the end of war." |