The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1919-07-10
EIhu Root S Advice
To The Senate


ed States today rank higher as auth I
critics on constitutional and interna-
tional law than Elihu Root and Sem
ator Knox. MIR. Root has been Unit
ed States Senator and Secretary Of !
state. Senator Knox has also been
Attorney General and Secretary of ,
State. The mere fact that they have
held these positions might count for
little but when il is considered that 3
they have attained the pre-eminence =
Ia those positions that has COM
manded the respect of the entire civ |,
.ililed world, then any opinion eX.
pressed by them must challenge the !
respect of all, especially when they
are in entire accord.
We regret that our space does not
permit us to reproduce in full the
letter of Mr. Root to Senator Knox
in answer TO the latter's request for
his opinion as to the proper action
TO be taken upon the questions in
volved in the Treaty of Peace and es-
pecially that part dealing with the
League of Nations. The extract be-
low will give a good idea of it's ten
or:
The Honorable Henry Cabot Lodge,
Washington, d. c.
my dear Senator:-You were
good enough to ask that after study
ing the whole of the proposed treaty
with Germany and the amendments
already made to the league OF ma
tions part of IL should write you
my opinion as to the amendments
and as to the action which would be
wise, in view OF the existing interna-
tional conditions.
Il should be glad to see the peace
terms and the league OF nations COW
enant separated as proposed in the
resolution offered by Senator Knox,
so that the latter could be consid-
cred by the people Of the country
without coercion from the necessities
OF speedy peace.
II am clear that IL the covenant has
to be considered with the peace
terms included, the Senate ought to
include in its resolution of consent
to the ratification an expression of
such reservations and understanding
as will cure so far as possible the de-
fects which have pointed out. You
will probably be unable to do any
thing now about the system of arbi-
tration and the development of in
ternational law. You can, however
put into the resolution of consent Il
reservation refusing to agree 10 ar
ticle X and / think you should do
so; you can clarity the meaning of
the withdrawal article and you can
also include in your resolution the
substance of the third amendment,
which l proposed in my letter TO
Mr. Hays of March 20 relative to
purely American questions and Il
think you should do so.
These clauses of the resolution
shape themselves in my mind as fol-
low:
THE Senate of the United States
advises and consents to the ratifica-
ton of the said treaty with the fol-
lowing reservations and understand
ing to be made part of the instru-
nsent of ratification, via.
4. In advising and consenting
to the ratification of the said treaty,
the Senate reserves and excludes
from its consent the tenth article
of the covenant for the league of ma
tions, as to which the Senate re-
fuses its consent.
2. The senate consents to the rat
ification OF the aid treaty, reserying
Article \ aforesaid, with the under
standing that whenever two years
notice OF withdrawn nom the league
OF nations shall have been given, as
provided in Article mn cIain,