Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-20
MR.. TAFT BUILT THE BRIDGE
FROM WHITE HOUSE TO CAPITOL
The President and the Senators Meet on
His ConciIiatory Plan for
Interpretations"

va II' PtdNt IItdIN Is W. ltlSIl IhN
credit for harmonizing the differences be-
tween the President and the Senate will
without doubt be given to william How
ard Taft.
In his famous letter to Will H. Hays,
chairman of the Republican national COM
mittee, Mr. Taft suggested that in order
to remove any misapprehension about The
American understanding of the treaty
the ratifying resolution should be ac-
companed by a series of "interpreting
paragraphs" Until he made the sugges-
tion there had been talk of nothing but
reservations"
Reservations are radically different
from interpretations. They involve a re-
fusal to assent to a proposition in its
original form. interpretations involve
merely an explanation of the understand
ing of the meaning of the proposition to
which one assents.
The word "interpretation" is the bridge
across the chasm between the Capitol and
the White House
The President made this clear in his
conference with the Senate committee on
foreign relations yesterday afternoon.
After suggesting certain explanations of
the meaning of the most discussed arti-
tions he remarked:
There can be no reasonable objection
to such interpretations accompanying the
act of ratification. provided they do not
form part of the formal ratification
itself"
Whether they form a part of the rati-
flying resolution or not seems to be a
detail of little consequence. The point
to be noted at this time is that the Presi-
dent, after having let it be understood
that he was opposed to everything but a
categorical assent to the treaty as a
whole has decided to meet the wishes Of
the Senate so far as to agree with those
senators who desire by clarifying eXpIa-
nations to make it sure that the United
States surrenders no essential rights and
binds itself in no unconstitutional way to
obligations which it is not willing to bear.
The President was most COnciliatory in
his formal address and in his answers to
the questions put to him afterward. He
reminded the committee that when he
met its members last March and dis
cusscd with them the first draft of the
league covenant they made certain objec-
tiOns to it. An attempt had been made,
he said, to meet those objections. The
Monroe Doctrine has been safegua rded in
language which seemed to the peace COM
missioners adequate to exempt it from
the jurisdiction Of the league. The inter-
ference by the league in domestic ques-
tions, such as immigration, the tariff and
naturalization had been Forbidden The
United States was not the only power
interested in the preservation of its right
to fix its own policy in these matters.
The right of a state to withdraw from the
league was clearly defined and there was
no body created which could question that
right or could prevent a nation from
withdrawing when it chose and under
such conditions as satisfied its sense of
national honor.
And Article X, which guarantees the
territorial integrity of the members of
the league from external aggression,
placed no legal obligation on any nation
to act in accordance with the advice of
the council. The President explained he
had been at especial pains 10 make it per
fectly clear to the conference that the
final action of America rested with Con-
gress under our constitution He in
sisted. of course, that Article X was the
very backbone of the league and that
without it "the league would be hardly
more than an influential debating So
ciety."
The President is clearly willing that
the interpretations shall make it clear
that the Monroe Doctrine is exempt from
league jurisdiction, that internal ques-
| tions of internal policy shall not be con-
! sidered by the league council and that
| the United States is not expected to take
any action under Article X without the
express direction of Congress.
These are substantially the interpreta
tions which Mr.. Taft suggested not quite
a month ago. They embody the under,
standing of a majority of the Senate re,
garding the meaning of the treaty and
they do not modify its provisions in any
| particular.
| When the President asked a commit
tee of members of the League to Enforce
Peace to consider the question of inter
pretations a week or so ago his forma
| approval of such a course as Mr.. Taf
had suggested was foreshadowed. Con
sequently the conference at the Whit
House yesterday may be regarded as re
moving all possible doubt about the earl!
ratification of the treaty in such a wa,
as to save the face of those supersensi
tive senators who were timid about it il
the first place.
The Democratic senators, with one an,
possibly two exceptions, will vote for il