New Britain herald., 1919-08-20
THE SENATE'S CONFERENCE.

Which we have been looking forward TOT several months, the conference of President Wilson and the Senate For elgn Relations Committee, came about and gave us considerable information on various subjects, coupled with a great deal of pointless dialogue in question and answer form. between the President and one mem Der or an- most of this, the proposition simmered down to a discussion of the Shantung
 clause in the treaty and Article x, with which we are vitally concerned. The American public, we venture to
 say, is not materially affected by the
 manner of bringing about various
 stipulations in the contract It does not care whether the plan of the
 League was that of General Shuts,
 or John Jones. What it wants to
 know is how it is going to be affected
 by the clauses.
 The Presidents preliminary speech
 was one that is deserving of a great
 deal of commendation. We believe
 that it was manly, straightforward
 declaration of his beliefs and convic-
 tions concerning the document and
 the need of it's early adoption. There is search for the ideal, for Utopia, in the treaty. That was explained
 Senator Brandegee, from Connecticut, tried to differentiate between the le- gal and moral obligations, without, the element of judgment enters into moral obligation and that there is no such element in a legal one'' was
 a point well made by the President.
 We can grasp that, if the Senator
 cannot. We are bound, it is true, by s.Article x to have our representative .Ssv/ the League council consider means Ho bring about a settlement of any Troubles that may arise. The Senator from this state, considers that Article kN makes it obligatory for us to use
 our armed forces to bring about a settlement, irrespective of whether Congress wishes it or not. The Pres- ldent thinks that he is mistaken. So zsN we. Our conclusion after reading 8H ~Sral body to act upon the affairs 8| GHations as they encroach upon each #Nher, to eliminate friction if possible. That of course will be agreed to by |al1. But we disagree upon the means
 of following up the edicts of the |council. What shall we do if it's or
 ders are not obeyed? Senator Brande-
 gee says we will have to fight, will
 be bound to do so by understanding
 The President makes the point that
 we will be bound by moral obliga- tion only. That if it appeals to our sense of justice to fight we shall do so. If it does not Congress is not |forced to declare war. Then Article X |accomplishes nothing beyond "a scrap of paper you say. Not at all. We will resort to the past war to seek 9 parallel.
 supposing that Germany had been a member of such a League in 1914 before the war, as were the rest of us. We doubt that she would ever have dared to tempt fortune as she did, Knowing that the rest of the nations were coupled in moral obligation to see that Belgium got her rights. She would have recognized that it was in evitabIe that all other nations would see the injustice to one of it's League members and would have resented this. We believe that this country would have thrown it's weight into s the scales at once were there any ties not believe that Germany Was ready to encounter the world and we ven- A ture that she did not count upon the entry of the United States into the war at all Consequently had there been any agreement between us she would have hesitated. Supposing that Sthere were a League and that she went ahead anyhow. Would we, under Article X, have to enter the Awar? No, we were not legally bound Flo do so. But would we have hesi- tated to accept our moral obligations? :? 5 We doubt it. Then, Article X would { have made little difference there Will Fit in the future? We doubt it. The |sonly weight it will have is the greater s# #nfiuance upon any dissenting nation |awhich will realize that there is tie
 beEween nations and will hesitate to