The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1919-05-14
Defensive Pact Between
France and u. S.
Wilson Consults Experts on
Drafting. Document to
Keep Germans
Down
By RICHARD Y. OULAHAN.


PARIS, May l4-Oelayed}- The
undertaking. by which President
Wilson has pledged himself to pro-
pose to the senate an engagement"
for the United States to come I'M
mediately to the assistance OF France
IN case OF an unprovokcd attack by
Germany is supplemented by a more
formal document now in course of
preparation. II it bears out the un-
dertsanding OF some # those inform
ed, that engagement" is to be put
i'll the form of suggesting treaty
OF defensive alliance with France.
The president is now engaged in
consulting American experts on in
ternational and constitutional law as
to- the form of the supplementary
document. Efforts to draft this have
been made, but it is admitted that
difficulties were encountered One
of these difficulties arises from the
fact that the engagement which
may be constructed as treaty ob1i-
cation apparently comes the United
States in advance to employ its land
and naval foces i'll behalf of France
against Germany.
Congress Has Sole Power
Congress has sole power under the
American constitution to declare
war, and the question has arisen
whether the undertaking can be given
alone by the senate as part of the
treaty making authority or whether
it requires also the sanction of the
house of representatives, which is a
part of the war-making authority.
There is no doubt IN the minds Of
many Americans here that strong
sentiment will develop among the
members of the house in favor Of
having the engagement sui mitted to
their body.
AS the French have constructed the
pledge furnished to Premier Clemen.
ceau by President Wi1son-this con-
struction being voiced by their of
ficial spokesman, the United States
undertakes to regard the west bank
of the Rhine as the French frontier,
and the passage of German troops
across the Rhine westward would be
considered cause for the United
States to come Immediately to the as
sistance of France with armed forces.
No Popular Response =.
1t cannot be said that the UNDER
taking brings popular response in
American Quarter. Some of those
who doubt the wisdom of the Presi-
dents course, point out, however. that
the giving of the undertaking pro-
duces marked change in an embar-
RAISING situation. The French rep
resentatives in the peace conference
persistently objected that the provis-
ions of the covenant-of the league did
not furnish guarantees of projections
satisfactory o France. The asser-
tion is nov made that through the
action of President Wilson for the
United States, and Premier Lloyd
George, for Great Britain in furnish
ing an undertaking to seek authority
for the employment of American and
British armed forces for the protee.
tion Of France, the French consent
to compromise certain demands was
obtained, and inter-allied harmony on
the peace treaty was assured Ger.
tain it is that the peace conference
was in danger of failure through the
tetitude of France until Wilson and
Lloyd George gave the assurance
which guaranteed-as far as thew
were able to do-that the armed
strength of America and Great Bri-
tain would be at the disposal of
France should Germany make an un-
provoked attack upon her.