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Show It replies I ; KNOX fflllij "ornicr President Declares ! Keystone Senator's Reasoning Rea-soning Hard lo Follow. iays American Sovereignty Is Not Impaired by the League Pact. YEW YORK, March 11. Analyzing :enator Knox's objections .to the .proposed ovenant of the league of nations, former resident William Howard Taft, in an ad-ress ad-ress here tonight' before the Economic lub, declared that the covenant does not ;an'sfer the ""sovereignty . ot this, nation 0 the governing body of the league," vhich Senator Knox "asserts the execu-ive execu-ive council to be." When Senator Knox's attack upon the olioity of tlie covenant is analyzed, it nil seem to rest on an assumption that he executive council is given executive i)crs, which is unwarranted by the text f the 'covenant," 'said 'Mr Taft- "The rlioie function of the executive council 1 to oe the medium through which the a'ue nv-mbers are. .to . exchange views, heedviPorv l:oard to consider all mat-TS mat-TS arising' in the field of the league's opible action and to advise the members s'to what they ought by joint action ) flo. "The council makes few, if any, orders ''in ding on the m embers .of. tha ,leag.u?. sfter a member of the league has agreed ot to exceed a limit of armament, the xecutive council must consent to rats-ig rats-ig the limit. Where 'the 'executive' co'u'n-11 co'u'n-11 ae.ts as a mediating, and inquiring , od y to settle differences not arbitrated, :is unanimous recommendation of a set-'ement set-'ement must satisfy the nation seekidg "lief, if the defendant nation complies -ith the recommepUa,LiQn ays Indictment Falls. "These are the only cases -in -which, the :nited States as a member of the league mild be bound by action of the executive ' luncil. All other obligations of the Unit--i States under the league ore to be iund in the covenants of the league, and 'ot in any action of the executive cotm-: cotm-: I. When this is understood clearly, the -hole structure of Senator Knox's indict-lent indict-lent falls." -Mr. Taft asserted that article 16, "the finalizing section," does not require Members of the league to make war 'fjainst a nation violating this section, .r. Taft added that "nn act of war aoes )t produce a state of war unless the ;.ition acted against chooses to declare ,'od wage war on account of it." The ' tecutive council, ho said, "is given the '"Hy of recommending what forces shall ' i forced by members of the league to ' -otect the covenants of the league.'' ' Quoting Senator Knox as stating 'that le executive council was vested with ,'wer to declare war, Mr. Taft continued: alpable Non Sequitur. : "I submit in all fairness that there vsver was a more palpable non sequitur .an thin. I venture to think that were ; jnator Knox charged as secretary of ;j ate with construing the obligations of e United Stales under this covenant, r-t would, on behalf of the United States, . immarlly reject such a construction, un-- un-- ss the words used make such delegation tear. ,r "Article S provides that the executive ;-ninciI shall determine for the considera-" considera-" on and action of the several governments govern-ments what military equipment and arm-..jicnt arm-..jicnt is fair and reasonable, in proportion propor-tion to the scale of force laid down in ,.e program of disarmament formulated it, and these limits, when adopted, lall not be exceeded without the perfusion per-fusion of the executive council. This ! avos wholly to the government the ac-t ac-t . ceptanco or rejection of the proposed lim- j itatlon. i "Senator Knox says tiiat as this rec- i ommendaUon will be made with the con- i sent of our representative on the council, j we shall be in honor bound to accept the limit and bind ourselves. I Says Reasoning Obscured. J "It is difficult to follow this reasoning. The body which is to accept the limitation limita-tion is the congress ot the United States. Why should the congress of the United , States be bound by a representative selected se-lected by the president to represent the United States in this function, in respect to a matter of great importance under the control of congress? "That the United States should recognize recog-nize the wisdom of a reduction of armament arma-ment under a world plan for it seems manifest. The history of competitive armaments, with its dreadful sequel, are too fresh in the minds of the peoples of the world not to recognize the wisdom of an agreed reduction. "Ry what manner of reasoning can the word 'recommend' be converted intu a word of direction or command? Yet upon this interpretation of the meaning of the words 'recommend.' 'advise, and words of like import, as they occur in many articles, ar-ticles, depends his whole argument as to tho powers of the executive council under the covenant and tneir super-sovereign character." |