arising between the parties, not of the character which it was agreed should be submitted to arbitration, should be investigated by a joint high commission to be constituted in accordance with the provisions of the treaty, and bound the parties not to go to war over such questions until one year after the report of the commission. But the Senate, while voting on March 5, 1912, to ratify these treaties, amended them in certain particulars, and in the resolution of ratification, reserved from their operation questions affecting the admission of aliens, the territorial integrity of the several states of the United States, the alleged indebtedness or monied obligations of any state, and any question which depends upon or involves the maintenance

of the traditional attitude of the United States concerning American questions commonly described as the Monroe Doctrine, or other purely governmental policy.

This amendment, however, was not accepted by President Taft, and therefore neither of the treaties became effective.

Under the Wilson Administration, Secretary Bryan negotiated a series of treaties in 1913-1914, with twenty-one different countries, which were ratified by the Senate without any reservation whatever, whereby the high contracting parties agreed

that all disputes between them of every nature whatsoever, which diplomacy shall fail to adjust, shall be submitted for investigation and report to an international commission to be constituted in the manner prescribed

in a designated article of the treaty. They further agreed not to declare war or begin hostilities over any such question during such investigation and report.

Article XXI of the Revised Covenant expressly declares "Nothing in this Covenant shall be deemed to affect the validity of international engagements such as treaties of arbitration." This provision adopts one of Senator Root's proposed amendments to the original Covenant.

In view of this history, it is but a conserva

tive step forward now to agree with all the other powers composing the League of Nations to refer to arbitration any justiciable dispute which may arise with any of them, and to submit to the Council for investigation and report any question of a different character, and also not to resort to war until either arbitration or investigation shall have been concluded, and even then, not to make war against a party which shall comply with an arbitral award, or the unanimous recommendation of the Council.

(Letter No. 21)

THE MONROE DOCTRINE

Article XXI of the revised Covenant of the League provides as follows:

Nothing in this covenant shall be deemed to affect the validity of international engagements such as treaties of arbitration or regional understandings like the Monroe Doctrine for securing the maintenance of peace.

It is asserted that this article does not adequately reserve the Monroe Doctrine because it is not a "regional understanding" and its purpose is not the "maintenance of peace." It is also objected that although the Monroe Doctrine is a national policy, any dispute concerning its reservation in Article XXI shall be submitted to the League for arbitration or examination under Articles

XIII or XV. The reason for these objections disappears upon an examination of the general purpose of the League and the character and effect of the Monroe Doctrine.

In 1823 a number of South American states, having thrown off the yoke of Spain, had become independent republics. It was believed that the European powers constituting the Holy Alliance were planning to overturn the independence of the new states and by making them colonies of a European state to introduce in this hemisphere the autocratic monarchical principle. It was to frustrate such a design that President Monroe in his annual message to Congress said:

We should consider any attempt on their part (the part of European powers) to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety,

and

We could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing them (the young American Republics) or controlling, in any other manner, their destiny, by any European power, in any other light