The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-25
SENATOR Sees NO
END TO TROUBLES
Reservations by United States
Will Mean Reservations
by Other Nations.
TREATY MUST NOT FAIL
America In Danger if World Is
Allowed to Drift Into
New Alliances.

Washington, July '25.-Any reser-
vations in senate ratification of the
peace treaty would reopen the whole
| field of negotiations, encourage other
nations to make reservations and re-
new international dissension de-
clared Senator Pittman. of Nevada,
a democratic member of the foreign
relations committee, in an address to-
day in the senate.
The speaker cited the Spanish
treaty. of 1919, to which the senate
attached a reservation as to papal
claims in Florida, and said that al
though the Spanish government at
tached the same reservation. the
treaty had to be ratified a second
time because the two stipulatfons
were differently worded.
ut is immaterial" continued Sem
ator Pittman, n,~"whether the senate
considers the reservation as changing
the treaty or not, for that is ques-
ton to determine. 1t is immaterial
whether the change be accomplished
in the body of the treaty Of by reser-
vations in the resolution approving
the treaty or by interpretative clauses
annexed to the treaty. The words
in contract are of as much import
ance to the contracting parties as the
agreement itself, and the words once
agreed upon cannot be changed with
out the consent of each of the parties
to be bound by the contract.
"Are we justified In assuming that
other parliaments and governments VIII
accept without further Interpretation
our definitions of the articles OF the
covenant as affecting our own obliga-
tions?
Then We Open Door to Troubles.
"Japan's most bitter fight at the
council table was to grant the league
jurisdiction to prevent the United
States, Canada and Australia from ex-
Guiding Japanese from their territories
under the immigration laws. Think you
that the Japanese government VIII neg
lect the opportunity to again insist upon
reservations in the treaty covering this
point?
Think you that the Italian parlia-
ment. having the oppoHunity by re-
opening of negotiation, would hesitate
which they believe are necessary to
protect her interests at Fiume. Dali
malta and along the Adriatic when we,
had set the example?N
..Would there be cause for surprise II.
in the circumstances. the parliament OF
Great Britain should feel justified. in
adding a reservation to the treaty when
ii goes back to them to the effect that
the clause providing for limitation OF
naval armament shall not, by rea son of
Great Britain's peculiar Situation, apply
to that government?
Unless we approve this treaty as
II stands, then we open the door to
all Of the disastrous possibilities OF
renewed International dlssension,
"The nations Of the world may all
be against us, and In the league OF
nations they may violently riscon-
strue the articles affecting our IN
terests. They are more apt to at
tempt TO accomplish this purpose "
there Is no league Of nations.
1--WE can wait for peace; Europe can
not. The real peace treaty was not
with our enemy, but between us and
our friends. There is no precedent for
such a treaty. We may force any
treaty upon a defeated enemy: we must
a treaty between our
statesmen of the world, for months. un-
tiringly gave their lives to reaching this
treaty.
Speaking purely as an American, l
believe that our nation will be in as
much danger as any other country In
the world If this treaty fails Already
there are signs in Europe of the aban-
donment of peaceful intentions, and
groups of nations are feeling their way |
to organization for war and conquest |
If the world does not soon guarantee |
France and Italy and the new nations |
against aggression through concerted |
action under the league of nations there |
will be an alliance of powers superior |
10 our strength that will not be in SYM
pathy with our policies and our inter
Opt Monroe doctrine will then |
cease to be a doctrine, because we will
be unable to maintain it. We will be |
able to defend our own shores, but only |
1y having the greatest navy and the
most powerful army that any country
ever had"