Speech #660019292

Now. it seems from this that the council has the power and the jurisdiction to determine that any dispute brought before it does not arise "out of a matter which. by international law. is solely within the jurisdiction of that party." and having so determined the council may proceed to pass upon the dispute. no matter what the dispute may be. nor how vital its issue may be to the party raising It. Moreover. if the council wishes to refrain from passing upon this question as to the domestic or other character of the dispute. it may refer the whole subject. including this question. to the full assembly. which may make a like determination and disposition. It seems. therefore. clear that by joining the league not we but the council shall determine whether any matter is solely within our domnestic jurisdiction. and as affecting the decision of the council and as indicating the principle by which it will be guided. we must bear in mind the provision of article 11. that "it is also declared to be the friendly right of each member of the league to bring to the attention of the assembly or of the council any circumstance whatever affecting international relations which threaten to disturb international peace or the good understanding between nations upon which peace depends". of the provisions ofarticle 3. which provides that "the assembly may deal at its meetings with any matter within the sphere of action of the league or affecting the peace of the world". and of article 4. which provides that "tthe council may deal at its meetings with any matter within the sphere of action of the league or affecting the peace of the world." I must. therefore. ask for time to consider whether or not such vitml matters as our right to regulate immigration. our right to make alliances with other nations. our right to make reciprocity treaties upon such terms as we see fit. our right to make with our adjacent neighbors treaties such as we have with Cuba incorporating the Platt amendment. our right to intervene diplomatically to protect the lives and property of our nationals in other countries. and our right to intervene and adopt means and methods necessary to protect the people of our own borders from the encroachment of robber bands from adjacent unsettled countries. shall remain within the sole determination of our will and purpose or shall be subjected to the determination of a league body. I must also request the attention of the Senate to another provision of the newly vamped covenant. Much deserved criticism was urged against the first draft of the covenant on the ground that if we adopted the plan therein proposed we took from the Monroe. doctrine its life. thus leaving us no longer able to control the destinies of America. with the consequent loss. perhaps forever. of that great national security which had for a century been ours.