The Monroe doctrine is expressly mentioned as al understanding which is in no way to be impaired or interfered with by anything contained in the covenant and the expression " regional understandings like the Monroe doctrine" was used. not because any one of the conferees thought there was any comparable agreement anywhere else in existence or ill Contemplation. but only because it: was thought best to avoid the appearance of dealing in such a document with the policy of a single nation. Absolutely nothing is concealed in the phrase. With regard to domestic questions article 16 of the covenant expressly provides that. if in case of any dispute arising between members of the league the matter involved is clahued by one of the parties " and is found by the council to arise out of a matter which by international law is solely within the domestic jurisdiction of that party. the council shall so report. and shall make no recomniendation as to its settlement." The United States was by 110 means the only Government interested in tile explicit adoption of this provision. and there is no doubt in the mind of any authoritative student of internatonal law that such matters as immigration. tariffs. and nalturalizatiol are incontestably domestic questions with which no international body could deal without express authority to do so. No eminumeration of domestic questions was undertaken because to undertake it. even by sample. would have involve(] the danger of seeming to exclude those not mentioned. The right of any sovereign State to withdraw had been taken for granted. but no objection was made to mking it explicit.
Keywords matched
immigration