Barrage of Questions

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 554, 5 January 1929, Page 7

Barrage of Questions

U.S. SENATORS AND THE PACT

Monroe Doctrine Obstacle

(United I*.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) Reed. 10.20 a.m. WASHINGTON. Friday. REPUBLICAN reservationists and Democrats plied Senator Borah, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, with a barrage of questions when he re-opened the Senate debate over the Kellogg Treaty.

Republican reservationists and Democrats plied Senator Boralr, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, with a barrage of questions when he re-opened the Senate debate over the Kellogg Treaty. Senator McLean (Republican) challenged Senator Borah’s statement that the Monroe Doctrine was fully protected by the treaty’s recognition of the right of self-defence. He said Mr. Kellogg had defined self-defence as the right of a nation to protect its territory, and that inasmuch as South America was not United States territory, the Senate should specifically provide a safeguarding clause. Senator McLean added that he understood the South American nations had objected or would object to the ratification of the treaty without some such safeguarding clause. Senator Borah disputed Senator McLean’s deductions, and argued that Mr. Kellogg had no«t intended to restrict his definition of self-defence, and that, he specifically permitted every country to decide for itself what it considered self-defence.

Mr. Borah said: “If this treaty is ratified, we have just as much right to defend or interpret the Monroe Doctrine as if the treaty had never been thought of.” The Democrats, headed by Senator

Glass, Senator Swanson and Senator Caraway, attempted to elicit from Senator Borah a statement of what effect would have been created if the League of Nations had intervened in the recent Paraguay Bolivia dispute, and had used coercive methods under Article 10 of the League Covenant. Senator Borah replied that even the use of coercive methods bv Europe in the dispute would not e a violation of the Monroe Doctrine. He said: “Force has been used by other nations several times in South America, and there has never been an objection by the United States. I do not believe the Monroe Doctrine would apply if force were used for an amicable settlement of disputes, and not for acquiring power or territory in South America.”

He declared that the pending treaty w r ould not affect the situation.