Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-08-21

Washington. Aug. 19.-President will
son, interpreting the League of Nations
covenant to- day for the Senate foreign
relations committee declared 1t i'm
posed no legal obligation for the use
of American military force in protect
! ing the territory or independence OF
any other nation.
But he added that the covenant might
involve. in certain circumstances an
absolutely compelling moral obliga-
| ton" which might be even stronger
than legal promise.
Pressed for a more exact definition
! by committee members who insisted
that the whole arrangement was "a
! rope of sand" he asserted that on the
contrary he considered it as placing
the nations in ian attitude of comrade-
ship and protection" which would COM
pei respect for the principles of justice
and liberty.
Meeting the committee in round
table discussion in the East Room of
! the White House. in contradiction to
the precedents of more than a century
and with the whole nation listening
through the medium of relay of pub
lie stenographers, the president went
into many of the details of the peace
negotiations and touched on all the
hotly debated questions which have
divided the Senate In its organiza ton
of the peace treaty.
AS TO ARTICLE TEN
Article ten of the covenant guar
anteeing the integrity Of league mem
bers against aggression, he declared
would leave to each nation complete
freedom of choice as to the application
! If thn
tative on the council joined in a I'M
animous recommendation for military ac-
ton the final decision for peace or war
must rest so far as concerned the United
States with Congress. he said
Whatever advice the council gave I'M
der its authority to take such action as
is deemed appropriate" must also be
deemed appropriate by the United States
to be binding on this government. he ar
eued. though in the background would
be such potential moral force that he
doubted II the nation would often decline
to act.
SHANTUNG. JAPAN'S PRICE.
The president revealed that Japan's
promise to return shantung province to
China was reduced to written form in
the minutes Of the peace conference. He
asserted he had every confidence"
that the promise would be carried out
and told the senators it was the best
that could be got" out of the negotia-
tons. Japan having given notice she
would withdraw from the conference If
her demands were refused.
The American delegates he said. had
tried to keep the nation free from
obligations in European affairs so far
as 1t was honorably possible to do So
but he assented that it might be neces-
sary to keep some American troops in
the Rhine district under the treaty for
the next fifteen years.
He declared the nation would he its
own sole Judge whether it's obliga tons
had been fulfilled under the disputed with
drawal clause of the league covenant
that purely domestic questions were safe
from the leagues Interference; and that
the Monroe Doctrine was clearly pre-
served.
LEAGUE BUILT ON SHUTS PLAN
The league, the President explained
was built on the plan Of General SHUTS
Of South Africa.
Mr. Wilson revealed that he had sug-
gested the United States take no part
of the German reparation but had asked
that the conference reserve disposition OF
the German Pacific Island Of zap on
suggestion that 1t was needed for an
American naval station.
DECLINES TO ANSWER
Some OF the senator's questions the
President declined to answer on the
ground Of international policy. How the
American delegates voted on Japan's pro.
posal for racial equality clause in the
league covenant he said he could not dis
close in the interest OF international
good understanding" and for the same
reason he said he could not go into the
negotiations over the French frontier or
give the committee copy Of the record
OF Japan's Shantung promise
Early action on the treaty was
urged in statement by the Pres-
dent at the outset of the conference
This was necessary he held so that
n peace basis might be reached and
the other treaties under negotiation
now at Versailles were being DELAYED
until the world learned what would
happen to the treaty with Germany
He said he saw no reasonable OBJ
lection to Senate reservations but
| thought it unwise to incorporate them
in the ratification itself
DEFINES MORAL OBLIGATION.
In replying to long series of
questions by Senator Brandegee, re-
publican, Connecticut. the President
was led into an exhaustive discussion
OF the commingling Of moral and
legal obligations in treaties.
"A moral obligation" said Mr.. will
son. is of course, superior to a
legal obligation and II | may say so.
has greater binding force In every
moral obligation there is an element
| of judgment, In legal obligation
| there is no element OF judgment"
Senator Brandegee suggested ther
! was no important distinction BE.
cause we are obligated In any event"
~ think il is OF the greatest inn
| portance" replied the President, be.
| cause the element of Judgment en-
| tiers into It,"
But am assuming" returned Mr.
Brandesee. III the council should advise
us TO do a certain thing, and Congress
refused to do il, and II every other ma.
TONS representative assembly can do the
same thing, It seems to me like rope
of sand and not an effective tribunal
which would result in promoting peace.
THE reason ! do not agree with you"
Mr.. Wilson replied, lis that | do not
| think such a refusal would likely often
occur. ! believe II would he only upon
the gravest grounds-aDd in case Con-