Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-24
FULL TEXT OF TAFT
LETTERS TO HA VS.
Former President Explains Proposed interpretations OF
Peace Treaty in Communications to Republican
National Chairman

L Thurman
-
g.
mons seems 10 NE t.n, n"' ~,
acni'N'N az ,u"' ~, I m,,L ~, ,I,,,.
..'i,, N.'lI,i,n WI I;i., ,Lnt nI,,,.c fran u
,"t ,",'t Wv" ,,t; L,' ,Li,h ,bc no.
t"nI'", LJ,.,,' " Wv" wv re-, vnnr,' notice
,"nI ,, ,.n,,,ti, '""i birJrrcd throu.h the
"oim, ',Ioi,,' ,,o n,hcr mcmhrrs Of i,ro
Ic"g,,c
,,,,, .-.-,,,...,,, t,, 70 do
ne N''ohu w. W. W.. ,,,,, a,. ,,c,,-
Whn 'h' pressure III Wv, ,i,,ry of
o'rS' "i >'' E"N'' u'',H ,,,,,,,,t also ,
'"'"n"S Oh h"'i' ~ ',,,li ,,,,, t,,,I,. lilo
n'mn'r' ''r'hlnii v, a,,iI S",%i' hn mrf.ir
may "I 'hT '"u'l,l.' ~ "",'r ro,,rcsontrL
~ nnT' m"".r I,i,,;,,. ,,''i or rolnr.
ana aus" ''' w w. I!',i. - ,,.,s ,Lo in
"S' an" '""'I"' 'u,," .I,o ,o,.orort
ten, non ~ 'u' ",,., yo, I o,,
,nH' 'nIN ml'TH, "nrlL ro.,,It is mnt
"'I"" ~ t'H ''"' -, ,,r,,,,,cc ~
the covenant in Article y and Article
" nor docs IN" language "' Nr!'"
Nv n'rrSNarliN 'NII'ld" 'toih 'n' ~"
nal T" recommend S'fI"h'n' VI
dispute. n nome S"N'rhm'hi "n''' Wv
of its d"mlnion> or colonies - Par,N'
nor docs 1t necessarily "N''n"' VI"
mlnl"n "r colony from Sn'h 'rlpunh,
where fh' nome government "'aE w
party vet
II have no doubt that both Of these
0v"luSionS W"r" intended by the trainers
pf III" covenant, nor is th"r" any cN
press dCSrriUtun of the function t0 be
performed by the council or the as
,"mhlv under Article Nv. 81 a. I" re
Iuirr that II should act iudirialIl aud
Ir,mrding to international law or equity
and Justice. have no doubt that it
was intended that tho language of the
preamble should characterize the func-
tion of tho duties of tho council or as
.cmbly under Article Nv. And there
fore, that the language | have intro
,urCd IN thC second INTERPRETATION is
merely giving EXPRESSION to that which
ourht to- be inferred as thr intention
of tho rramrrs of tho covenant NAV
81, thar if ,unrIics that whirI, Mr.
Root forcibIy rcprcscntod as n dcfcrt
Of thc covenant
NrtiCle y Defined
''Thc third Interpretation is an exact
'cgul construction of the effect of Arti-
RI" y. and do not 500 how any Of tho
conclusions in respect to tho function Of
Congress under this article is tho nCres-
-ary result of th" distribution of power
under our constitution. to which none
Of tho associate members of the league
Can object.
The fuurt, Interpretation is n mere
statement rf international law and the
uropor construction oi the seventh para
"rrph of ArtirlC Nv, which is only in
serted to satisfy criticism of that para
graph. ha >cd on the unfnundcd ass,Imp-
tinn that s"mo tribunal of tho League
will be found which will declare issues
III respect ~ immigration or til" tarliN
10 DO something other than a question
oi ""i'''N'" P"Ii'F' II, rs an hnIhorl
rs SNOW Immigration ana 'arIn ull
nn'F.:u ny ,r'h'irS arc pnr'lH comes, IT,
,lu'N' ''iN' 'h'u ~ 'aHh"t lnjuI' ~
'"hnr "a li."l NI!I'h - un""lp,'ulN
INC, t lL,i W ,i,,'! ia 'loiia' . inM anu
ntI,,, :" "; "t
,,,,,,r;,,;,,ioI ,;h n;,'h ~ .o;,. ~,
torostI nf ,i,o I!ritoI S+"tns W. r,ny ~
dcnlnre This atti,ndc ,i nina hrt uhcrc
II costs nothing in rho nfTortiynnesI of
the league wo NAV we'll insert pro
vision To remove tho fears il uromnts
..Tbo 6rtL ;,+o,,.ro,o,;o, Iof,os tL,
NGorroo Jn,,.;n, tho oyrro,e;nr
Monroe Do,.trira' ;s usnJ in Article
Wi and a, thp y-nitoJ Stoto, il Tho
yntLor of thc dortrino and In, main.
t1ilcJ II for nincty-Niv vcars If ie fairI,
within the limit nf an intrrur, tat,ou 70,
il to state what tho doctrine has been
made to be in the history Of its dcvci-
rpmcnt to tho present duv. As the time
has como for its world recognition. the
time has also com" for its definition,
aI.d bCIiCv" tn" language used correctly
states what We have n right to claim it
to b" and all THAT We have the right to
claim il to be.
These intcrprctations. il seems to
mo reasonably answer all the reason ..
able or sincere criticism, made against
tho league cyrept as they are met bv
the single reservation as IN Article X
which !, ,rrpr.tnd ar rho rInsr Mr.
Root in his Ic,,nr to Won nroposed
that rho onerotior of ArticIo Y he
Iinitod to fro yH.,,., t.bnn ,ro rnttIoe
n,arts of ,ho ,,.or sLo,,,d ho 70
oxan,;roI u.itL ,h, ,.o,,, r'ti'I y, tLo frr,hor
oHomatio, ,,f ~" ,l ~" ti'I nT w. stn e., 'n' ',.
,at.,". rsI w., "i' u "''..
;rf,rt;, .t,. n "H t"'L .t n,, .t;
LILY If L' Iion 'l"! nav 'S u" NV AZ n
'u. vi III I'Sl,'' " 81 'r iV,
am '"n'iu,H' 'hd' 'l' P'liou VI ~
Years lS not long enough Tor ms Staplil =
|'ioh ana docs nor "n"r IN" security
Whlch Franc" eagerly seeks under the
league or by supplemental treaty. |
thluk. therefore. that the cautionarT
Influence of the league would be- greatly
strengthened by longthening this period
from five to ten years 1t seems to me
that ought 10 be- done by the forma
exercise of the right to withdraw as a
member OF Tn" league aItef ten years by
e',.TS III N".rt W 'n"' my.