Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-19

uDVus
senator Lodge snid that il seemed
that the treaty would give the five
principal allied and associated powers
the power to make such dispositions as
they saw At Of those islands.
Senator Borah then asked who would
pass on the question under the with
drawal clause Of the league covenant,
whether nation had fulfilled its inter
national obligations.
THE PRESIDENT Nobody"
SENATOR BORAH-"Docs the
council have anything to say about it,
THE PRESIDENT 49, Nothing
whatever.
SENATOR BORAH-"Thcn If a
country should give notice Of with
drawal, Il would be the sole judge of
whether or not It had fulfilled its in
ternational obligations. its covenants to
the league"
THE PRESIDENT-"This is as |
understand it. The only restraining in
fuence would be the public opinion OF
the world.
Senator Borah then asked whether,
when notice had been given. the right
to withdraw would be unconditional.
| THE PRESIDENT-''W Well. wher
| the notice is given it is conditional or
| the face of the conscience of the with
drawing nation at the close of the two
year period"
| Withdrawal Unconditional
SENATOR Precisely. bu
it is unconditional SO far as the lega
right or the moral right is concerned.
THE PRESIDENT-"That is my
Interpretation.
SENATOR BORAH-"There is NJ
moral obligation on the part Of tn
United States to observe any suggestion
made by the council"
THE PRESIDENT-"Oh, no.
SENATOR BORAH-"With refer
cnce to withdra wingT'
! THE PRESIDENT-"The nigh
be moral obligation if that suggestion
had weight, Senator, but there is n,
other obligation.
SENATOR BORAH-"Any mora
obligation which the United State
would feel would be one arising from
Its own sense Of obligation?'
THE PRESIDENT - "Oh, Ger
tainly."
, Senator Borah asked whether tn
, suggestion that the council would pas
3 on such an obligation was erroneous
aud the President replied:
YES. certainly
Gives Commissions View
Senator Borah asked whether tn
PRESIDENT was expressing the view hel
r by the commission which drafted tn
Y league. -, I'm
THE PRESIDENT-"I am conf
/ dent that that was the view. That vie
4 was not formulated, you understand
0 but | am confident that that was til
view"
In reply to Senator McCumber. tt
president repeated that he felt it woul
be mistake to embody Interpretation
III the resolutions of ratification. sayihg
We can interpret only moral obi
cation. The legal obligation can be en-
forced by such machinery as there
, to enforce it. We are therefore at lib
r erty to interpret the sense 10 whic
we undertake moral obligation.
P Senator McCumber asked wheth,
5 the other nations could not accept ir
terpretations by the Senate by az
I quiescence
q THE PRESIDENT-'My experien,
as lawyer was not very long. but tn,
t experience would teach me that Il
{ language of contract is always pa
Of the debatable matter. and III
r testify that in our discussions in Il
commission on the league of nations "
q did not discuss ideas half as much {
4 we discussed phrascology
Reservations. Mean Delay
The President said If reservation
were embodied In the ratification the
would have to be either explicit a,
quiescence or the elapsing of loI
! enough time for us to know whcth
: they (the other governments) we,
i implicitly acquiescing or not.
SENATOR HARDING-"Mr. Pres
Y dent. assuming that your constructic
of the withdrawal clause is the unde
standing of the formulating commits
sion, why is the language making N
proviso for the fulfillment of <To'
I pnunts put into the article?"
THE PRESIDENT-"AI Merely as q
' argument to the ccnsciesee of the ns
= tions. In other wcfds, it is a mott,
u served on them that the time they will
' will expect that at the time they with
draw they will have fulfilled their obi
y cations.
: Senator Harding said if that we
( true the language seemed rather a fai
" fetched provision.
Senator Pittman asked whether Gel
many put the same construction
articles of the treaty as did the allie
y, governments.
lie THE PRESIDENT have i
= means of knowing
!, SENATOR PITTMAN-"Germal
II then has not expressed herself to 81
"a commission with regard to these mo
~ THE PRESIDENT have l
is No Expression By Germany
y THE PRESIDENT-"No, we ha
Is no expression from Germany about Il
league except the expression OF her We
strong desire to be admitted to It,
II The President acquiesced in SUI
:, pestion by Senator Pittman that al
W change would require resubmission
). Germany.
SENATOR LODGE-"Mr. Pres
u dent, in that connection ! take 1t the
is no question whatever under inte
national law and practice that I
amendment to the text of the trea
et must be submitted to every signator
~ and must receive either their assent