The preamble is as follows:—"In or der to promote international co-opera tion and to secure international peace and security by the acceptance of obligations not to resort to war, by the prescription of open, just and honorable relations be tween nations, by the firm establish ment of the understandings of interna tional law as the actual rule of conduct among governments, and by the main tenance of justice and scrupulous re spect for all treaty obligations in the dealings of organized peoples with one another, the Powers signatory to this covenant adopt this Constitution of the League of Nations." The document then establishes an Ex ecutive Council and a permanent Secre tariat to be established at the seat of the League, provides for the arbitration of matters that are considered by the parties concerned to be proper subjects for arbitration, and also provides that nations shall not go to war without a previous resort to the arbitration of the League. In case of any assault by one of the members of the League against any other member all the nations signa tory to the Covenant are to proceed by what means they choose to punish the offender. "Mandates" for the former German colonies are to be assigned by the executive council, and all treaties are to be deposited with the Secretary General of the League. Perhaps the most important article in the Covenant and certainly the one most discussed was Article X which reads as follows: "The high contracting parties shall undertake to respect and preserve as against external aggression the terri torial integrity and existing political in dependence of all states members of the League. In case of any such aggression or in case of any threat or danger of such aggression the Executive Council shall advise upon the means by which the obligation shall be fulfilled." This first draft of the Covenant en countered severe criticism especially in the United States, where many Senators held that a distinct recognition of the Monroe Doctrine should have been in corporated in the document: that the League would involve us in many petty wars and that it was placing the sov ereignty over Americans in the hands of foreigners. The Japanese demanded an amendment in favor of racial equality, while the French wished a permanent international force to protect them from German aggression. The opponents of the League under the leadership of Sen ator Lodge secured the signatures of thirty-nine of the Senate's members to a document declaring that they would not ratify the Covenant of the League in its present form. Influenced by these criti cisms the President returned to Paris and changes were made in the wording of the Constitution of the League, intended to safeguard the Monroe Doctrine, to re move domestic questions from the juris diction of the League, to permit nations to withdraw from the League upon two years' notice "providing it had fulfilled its obligations," and to require the deci sion of the League Council to be unani TriOUS.
This revised draft of the Covenant was adopted by a plenary session of the Peace Council on April 28, 1919, following an explanatory address by President Wil son. The decision was made that the seat of the League was to be Geneva, Switzerland, rather than Brussels which wished the honor. Sir (James) Eric Drummond, private secretary to Arthur J. Balfour, British Foreign Secretary, was named as the first Secretary-General of the League of Nations. Although many of the European statesmen desired the League of Nations Covenant to be en tirely apart from the terms of the Peace Treaty, President Wilson again insisted that it be an integral part of the Treaty. This angered many members of the United States Senate who claimed that the President was attempting to force the Senate to agree to the Covenant whether it approved of its terms or not, the only alternative given it being that of reject ing the entire Peace Treaty and continu ing in a state of war with Germany.
On July 10, 1919, President Wilson formally sent the Treaty with the Cove nant embodied in it to the Senate for its ratification. By reason of the slight majority of the Republicans in that body they were able to organize the Foreign Relations Committee to which the docu ment was referred. Both in the Com mittee and on the floor of the Senate serious opposition to both Treaty and League appeared and numerous requests were made by the Senators of the Presi dent for papers and reports of the Peace Conference. While the President re fused most of these requests he finally agreed to meet the entire Foreign Rela tions Committee at the White House on August 19th and answer such questions as far as he could. The meeting was
held and the Chief Executive made known his willingness to agree to such "interpretive reservations" which should not change in any essential manner the League or the Treaty, but he expressed opposition to any textual amendments or such reservations as would impair the structure of the League.
While these negotiations were pro ceeding between the executive and legis lative branches of the Government of the United States, foreign countries were acting. Great Britain was the first of the great nations to ratify both the League and the Treaty, the resolution becoming law July 31, 1919. France fol lowed by ratification on Aug. 20th, Bel gium on Aug. 8th. Spain was among the first of the neutral states to declare their adhesion to the League, taking ac tion to that effect on Aug. 1Gth. Switz erland agreed to submit the whole mat ter to a referendum of her people which was done and the League finally accepted, but not without considerable opposition. Chile was among the first of the Ameri can nations to join the League and the indications were that nearly all the South American nations would do so.
These proceedings of other nations did not influence the United States, the one country which was expected to hail the League as the achievement of its ideals. After an address by Senator Knox of Pennsylvania, Secretary of State under the Taft administration, in which he bitterly denounced both League and Treaty the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Sept. 10, 1919, made their report recommending 38 textual amend ments and four reservations to the Treaty and Covenant. As far as the League was concerned the Committee recommended an amendment giving the 'United States an equal vote with that of any other nation in the League. This was aimed at Great Britain, which nation had five votes counting those of her self governing colonies. Another amendment would give to the United States the un conditional right of withdrawal from the League; a reservation was suggested by the Committee which would completely invalidate Article X; still another reser vation made the United States sole judge of what was a domestic issue and over what matters the League had jurisdic tion. President Wilson seeing the hope lessness of the situation in the Senate determined to appeal to the country in a series of speeches and endeavor to arouse public sentiment to bring pressure on the recalcitrant Senators. During Septem ber he journeyed to the Pacific Coast making speeches explaining and defend ing the League. While given a courteous hearing everywhere and an enthusiastic reception by most of his audiences, opin ions differ as to whether the people showed their sympathy with him in his battle for the League. Certainly the Senate was in no more pliant mood than hitherto. The President returned to Washington a sick man, and for a time in the fall was unable to take any further part in the controversy. The Senate dur ing October abandoned its effort to amend the Covenant and the opposition centered its efforts on securing the adoption of reservations which should be as effective. These reservations, numbering fourteen and covering the main objections of the opposition to the League, were drawn up by the Foreign Relations Committee and were brought to a vote in the Senate on Nov. 19, 1919, and were defeated by a vote of 55 to 39, the Democrats and the "Irreconcilables" alike voting for their rejection, the first because the reserva tions as President Wilson had announced completely nullified the League, and the second group because they were opposed to ratification under any conditions. A vote was then taken on unconditional ratification which was defeated by a vote of 53 to 38, whereas an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the entire body was re quired to obtain a ratification. Even after this first rejection of the League negotiations continued to attempt t,o se cure ratification. More sweeping reser vations than the previous fourteen were agreed upon in order to secure the votes of the "Irreconcilables" if possible. The resolution of ratification with these fifteen reservations was brought to a vote on March 19, 1920, and received 57 votes in its favor to 37 against, thus lacking the necessary two-thirds by seven votes. The Senate, immediately thereafter passed a resolution notifying the President that they refused their consent to the Treaty and the League.