Point XIV and evidently purposed to advocate, seemed to require the use
of force in the event that it became necessary to make it good.

From the note of November 22 I quote the following:

"The legal principle [of the equality of nations], whatever its basis
in fact, must be preserved, otherwise force rather than law, the
power to act rather than the right to act, becomes the fundamental
principle of organization, just as it has been in all previous
Congresses and Concerts of the European Powers.

"It appears to me that a positive guaranty of territorial integrity
and political independence by the nations would have to rest upon an
open recognition of dominant coercive power in the articles of
agreement, the power being commercial and economic as well as
physical. The wisdom of entering into such a guaranty is questionable
and should be carefully considered before being adopted.

"In order to avoid the recognition of force as a basis and the
question of dominant force with the unavoidable classification of
nations into 'big' and 'little,' 'strong' and 'weak,' the desired
result of a guaranty might be attained by entering into a mutual
undertaking _not_ to impair the territorial integrity or to violate
the political sovereignty of any state. The breach of this
undertaking would be a breach of the treaty and would sever the
relations of the offending nation with all other signatories."

I have given these two extracts from my notes in order to show the views
that I held, at the time the American Commission was about to depart
from the United States, in regard to the character of the guaranty which