THE GUARANTEE OF THE UNITED STATES.
(To ins EDITOR or Tin " EIPLPCUTOR.11 Sue—The basis of President Wilson's address to the Senate on 'Monday last is his statement of America's willingness "to add their authority and their power to the' authority and force of other nations to guarantee peace and justice throughout the world "—in other words, to enter into a treaty with other Powers to this end. Under the Federal Constitution such a treaty will require the sanction of the Senate by a two-thirds majority. Assuming that this sanction will be obtained, what will result in the event that at some time thereafter a nation or nations "break the peace of the world and violate justice therein? Your readers will recall your leading article of November 13th, 1915 (p. 650), in which you called attention to the treaty of the Hague of October 18th, 1907, which received the " sanction of the civilized world," excepting China and Nicaragua, and including the United States.and Germany—a treaty which was ratified by the United States Senate by the Constitutional two-thirds majority and thus became " the Supreme Law of the Land " (par. 2 of Article VI. of the Constitution), and which contained these provisions :-
" Article I.—The territory of neutral Powers is inviolable.
Article IL—Belligerents are forbidden to move across the territory of a neutral Power, troops or convoys, either of muni- tions of war or supplies,"
By Germany's public admission these Articles were flagrantly violated by her on August 3rd, 1914. The territory of the neutral Power, Belgium, was openly violated by her, and troops and convoys of munitioaa of war and supplies were moved across it. The United States had by treaty guaranteed Belgium against these acts. of Germany. I say "guaranteed," although the word was not used in the treaty. Of -what other effect was the signature of the United States? Has the United States or its President done or said anything by way of redeeming its guarantee? If not— and I am very sure that nothing has been said or done—what assurance is there that a guarantee of the peace of the world upon the conditions laid down by the President (or on any oon- clitions) will be redeemed by " the authority and force" of the United States added to the authority and force of other nationot —I am, Sir, de., S. R. H. P.S. See also The—American Crisis and the War, by W. M. Fullerton, pp. 48 to 52.
Previous page
