Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1919 — Senator McCumber Criticises the Johnson Amendment. [ARTICLE]

Senator McCumber Criticises the Johnson Amendment.

Washington, D. C., Oct. 6.— Denying that Great Britain and her colonies would have six votes in the league of nations to one for the United States, Senator McCumber (Rep., N. D.) declared in the senate today that senators advocating the amendment by Senator Johnson, (Rep., Oalif.) proposing to limit the vdting power of the British colonies were fanning popular prejudice with an unfounded appeal. “Senators who in pi'fvate conversation would never dream of attempting to deceive one another,” said Senator McCumber, “seem unable to resist the temptation to take advantage of a prejudice created by this deception, and with studied avoidance of the real and

full truth, give this prejudice an-' other boost." As a substitute for the Johnson amendment, Senator McCumber urged his proposed reservation to exclude British colonies from participating to the league in disputes involving the mother country or each other. “Almost every argument made on the floor of the senate,” sajd Sen-| ator McOumber, “and every one without exception made to the public by senators opposed to any league of nations, has given the impression to the people of the world that the council or the assembly, as the case might be, is a sort otf court or tribunal that decides the disputes between nations, and it is because of these misstatements of the facts that the misapprehension of many of our people arising therefrom, that the ground is made fertile for the development of about all the animosities towards this league and especially toward the claimed voting power of Great Britain. “I wish the public could just once fully understand, flr|t, that not one case of dispute out of a hundred would ever go to the council or assembly; second, that even if all other efforts provided for the settlement of disputes should fail, the only thing submitted to the council or assembly is the right to investigate and report the facts to the public.’’ “Senator McOumber said that the argument of Senator Johnson and other supporters of the Johnson amendment as to Britain’s voting power was “too absurd to be true,” and asked why France, Italy and other nations did not raise objections to> “putting their heads in the lion’s mouth.” The North Dakota senator said that the “real facts” regarding the league were: “That neither the council nor assembly is a board of arbitration. “That neither of them decides international disputes at all. “That the only jurisdiction, which the council or assembly have

over a dispute between nations, is the right to investigate and report what the true facts are, and make recommendations. “That a dispute with a part of a nation or empire is a dispute .with the whole. “Great Britain can not and will not control the vote of Canada,” Senator McCumber said. “I would like to put this question straight to the American people: Has not Canada, a fully-governing, independent dominion, earned by her sacrifices in blood and treasure through four years of this bloody war, a right to a seat in the assembly, that would give her voice an effect equal to Haiti, Hedjaz, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Pamama, Perm, Salvador or Venezuela?’’ i