The sun., 1919-08-21
PACT CHANGES
WORRY FRENCH
Inquiries Reveal That Senate
Resents Attempt to Subor-
dinate Powers.
NEW HITCH OVER SAAR
Commission Of Nine Powers
Provided For, and They
Must Ratify First.
by LAURENCE HILLS.
Sto1 Correspondent Of TIE suy.

tcPpp"' isls, ub T0HtS FeSeftcd.
PARIS, Aug. 20.-From a hign
French source THE SUN Is informed
that the clause in the treaty with
France requiring the approval of the
Council of the League of Nations be-
fore the agreement becomes valid was
inserted on the inslstence of President
Wilson alone.
The French Government is con-
cerned over the situation of this
treaty of alliance and has set On foot
in the last few days inquiries in
Washington which have not Civ N it
much encouragement, the inform tion
received being that the Republicans
were opposed to the subordination of
the Senate to the League of Nations
in the exercise of the treaty making
power.
The impression gained in French
circles here is that this clause is not
regarded as indispensable, even the
friends of the league holding that its
elimination would not be a blow at
that agreement.
House Makes Slow Progress.
1t is beginning to appear that the
Presidents plan of tieing up the
league with the peace treaty will lead
to many embarrassments. The Presi-
dent and Col. E. NJ. House had the
idea that by working through the
summer at Sutherland House In Lon
don the cultivators of the league
could have It ready to burst into full
bloom as soon as the treaty became
effective through the ratification by
three Of the Allies.
II seems now, however, that little
progress has been made behind the
closed doors of the London mansion
harboring the league embryo, the
early exuberance of its guardians hav-
ing evaporated conside erably. This is
due principally to criticism coming
from, America Innumerahle questions
have come up also regarding the cove
nant and the treaty, which even the
trainers of these documents cannot
settle among themselves.
The way the treaty is drawn seems
to presuppose that the executive coun-
ell of the league would be in full
operation within two weeks OF the rati-
fication by the third power. This
seems to have been the original idea
of President Wilson, Col. House and
Lord Robert Cecil, but 1t is discovered
now that the league will have only
three members when 1t Is called upon
to appoint a commission to administer
the Ssar Valley, for example.
Calls for Nine Members.
Those will be the representatives of
the three ratifying powers. Yet the
covenant of the league states ex-
pressly that the council, which is 10
appoint this commission. shall consist
of five great powers and four smaller
ones. 1t is admitted by the experts
that a council OF three members would
be In the nature of a rump council, the
authority of which could be questioned
by Germany or any other nation which
was a party to the treaty.
The Saar Valley clauses contain no
provision for any extension of time
within which the Council OF the League
must act One suggestion made at the
conferences in Sutherland House was
that Germany be asked II she would
agree to an extension or would admit
the authority Of rump council.
DanziE Case Also Involved.
The appointment of a high commits
sioner for Danzig is involved IN the
same question, which has tied up
Sutherland House, II would seem. Col.
House, while remaining in partial Sc
clusion in Sussex, is attending the
Sutherland House conferences and
has secretaries working there with the
British representative. but apparently
little progress is being made on organ
iZation.
Other men who are pushing the
league, at work there also, appear to
he doubtful II the Iirst meeting can be
held before next spring. the plan for
a meeting in October having been
abandoned already. With the execu-
ton OF the treaty depending upon the
! league, as the result of President Will
! sons insistence here. the outlook Is
not pleasing to some members OF the
| paace Conference