Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-08-14
PRESIDENT SUBMITS
COPY OF COVENANT
Sends to Foreign Relations Com
mittee Original American
Draft for League of Nations
but Declines to Give All Data
MANY PAPERS IN PARIS
secret Treaty between Great britain
and Japan Comes up for Discussion
1t Is Charged That NiscOunt Ishii
"ConceaIed" Its Existence

Washington Aug. 11.-President Will
son sent to the foreign relations commit
tee to-day a copy of the original Ameri-
can draft of a League of Nations
covenant, but declined to furnish other
papers relating to the peace negotiations
asked for in Senate resolutions.
In reply to a committee request for
"all data" used in preparation OF the
treaty the President wrote that most OF
the documents and memoranda were LETT
in Paris and that many were of conf
dental nature so that ION grounds OF
public policy" it would be unwise to
make use of them outside the confer
ence." He sent only the American
covenant draft and a copy of the COW
enant as agreed to before his first re-
turn from Europe.
LETTER is CONFIDENTIAL
To another resolution asking for copy
of the letter written by General Bliss
regarding the Shantung problem Mi.
Wilson replied that he regarded the let
ter as confidential since ii contained GER
tain references to other governments.
He said the communication in which Sec
rotary Lansing and Henry White con-
Cured took very strong ground
against the proposed settlement of the
question, but could not properly be de-
scribcd as a protest against the final
Shantung decision"
Another development in the treaty con-
troversy to-day was the statement before
the foreign relations committee by Sec
rotary Lansing that Niscount 1shii. Japa-
nese ambassador to the United states,
had concealed" the existence or the
secret treaty between Japan and Great
Britain regarding the Shantung PENN
sula while the Lansing-Ishii agreement
was being negotiated.
The American plan provided for an
executive council" similar to the "coun-
ell of the final covenant and body
of delegates similar to the assembly. -
Instead of requiring that decisions of
the council should be by unanimous vote,
however, it was provided in the Ameri-
can draft that any three nations could
veto any decision.
AIDING WEAK NATIONS
The mandatory system of administer
ing weak nations was embodied in the
| American proposal and it provided for
registration and publication Of all
| treaties. 1t did not contain the extern
| sive provisions in the final covenant for
| deciding whether any question arising
! was international or purely domestic IN
| character.
| The executive council was to be made
| I'D of representatives of the great powers
| and of lesser number of smaller ma
| tions while each member would be rep
resented in the body of delegates as under
the final covenant.
Whereas the selection of the smaller
nations represented in the council is to
be made by election of the assembly
under the covenant as completed the
| American plan proposed that they be
drawn in annual rotation from two
| panels, one of which shall be made Ut
of the representatives of the states
ranking next after the great powers and
the other of the representatives of the
minor states. such number being drawn
from these panels as will be but one less
| than the representatives of the grea,
powers
| instead of having a specially apponte
| delegate, each nation would be repre-
scented in the Body of Delegates by its
| ambassador or minister resident at the
seat of the government where the meet
ings were held. The government acting
as host would be represented by its
foreign minister, who would preside.
| In virtually the same language as the
| final covenant, the draft would give the
league power to take any action deemed
wise and effectual to safeguard world
peace when "any war or threat Of power
arose. The Body Of Delegates would be
empowered ito discuss either publicly OF
nrivately as it may deem best any matter
living within the field of action of the
League of Nations or any matter likely
to affect the peace of the world"
permanent secretarlat and staff Is
| nrovided for and the draft, like that
snslly adopted, provided for arbitration
bv the council and by specially appointed
arbl.rators and not by permanent arbi.
tration court Resort to war would be
nrohtbited pending arbitration, and if ar
| hitra; ion is found impracticable the mem.
hers would agree to submit the matter
TO the council "for such mediatory actor
or recommendation as it may deem wise