The Washington times., 1919-08-19

France, will be in a position to Law
their plans for controlling the mar
kets Of central Europe without COM
petition from us, if we do not pres
emily act. We have no consular
agents no trade representatives there
10 look after our interests.
There are large areas OF Europe
whose future will lie uncertain and
questionable until their people know
the final settlements of peace and
the FORCES which are to administer
and sustain it. Without determinate
markets our production cannot pro-
ceed with intelligence or confidence.
There can be no stabilization of
wages because there can be no set
tied conditions Of employment. There
can be no easy or normal Industrial
credits because there can be no con-
Iident or permanent revival Of bust
ness.
Can't Afford Minutes Delay.
But l will not weary you with OBJ
Vlous examples. l will only venture
to repeat that every element of nor
mai life amongst US depends upon
and awaits the ratification of the
treaty Of peace; and also that we can
not afford to lose a single summers
day by not doing all that we can to
mitigate the winters suffering,
which. unless we find means to pre-
vent it, may prove disastrous to a
large portion of the world, and may,
at its worst, bring upon Europe con-
dltions even more terrible than those
wrought by the war itself.
Nothing, am led to believe. stands
in the way of the ratification of the
y
gard to the meaning and implication
Of certain articles OF the covenant Of
the League Of Nations: and 1 must
frankly say that I am unable to un-
derstand why such doubts should be
entertained. You will recall that
when l had the pleasure of a confer
ence with your committee and with
the committee Of the House of Repre-
sentatives on Foreign Affairs at the
White House in March last the ques-
tions now most frequently asked
about the League Of Nations were all
canvassed, with a view to their i'm
mediate Qualification.
Was Subject to Revision.
The covenant of the league was
then in its first draft and subject to
revision. 1t was pointed out that no
express recognition was given to the
Monroe Doctrine, that il was not ex-
pressly provided that the league
should have no authority to act or to
express a judgment on matters of do
nestle policy. that the right to with
draw from the league was not ex-
pressly recognized, and that the con-
stitutiOnal right OF the Congress to
determine all questions OF peace and
war was not sufficiently safeguarded.
On my return to Paris all these mat
ters were taken up again by the com
mission on the League Of Nations and
every suggestion of the United States
was accepted.
The view Of the United States
with regard to the questions l have
mentioned had in fact, already been
accepted by the commission and there
was supposed to be nothing incOn-
sistent with them in the draft Of
the covenant first adopted-the draft
which was the subject of our dis
cussiOn in March-but no objection
was made to saying explicitly in the
text what all had supposed to be
implied in il. There was absolutely |
no doubt as to the meaning of any
one of the resulting provisions OF
the covenant in the minds Of those |
who participated in drafting them, |
and 1 respectfully submit that there