The Washington herald., 1919-08-20
TREATY STATEMENT BY WILSON

granted. but no objection was MADE
to making IL explicit. Indeed, 80
soon as the views expressed at the
White House conference were lala
before the commission II was at
once conceded that II, was best not
to leave the answer TO SO impor-
tant a question 10 inference.
No proposal wos m ade to set
mp nny tribunal to pass tudR-
ment upon the question whether
Withdrawing nation lad in
fact fulfilled HaII its irternstfon-
al oblt9 tions and all its obliga-
tiens under the covenapL-
TT was recognized that that CUES
ton must be left to be resolved By the
conscience of the nation proposing TO
withdraw; and must say that It did
not seem to me worth while to pro-
pose that the article be made more
explicit because I knew that the Unit
ed States would never itself propose
TO withdraw from the league II its
conscience was not entirely clear as
to the fulhIlment of all its interns-
tional obligations. II has never failed
to fulfill them and never will.
Article Y is in no respect Of doubt
ANA "Etu Itdu III AAAt AAf NJ VI
the covenant as a whole. The coun-
Gil Of the league can only advise
upon the means by which the obliga-
tions OF that great article are 70 be
given effect to. Unless the United
States is q party to the policy or ac-
ton in question, her own affirmative
vote in the council is necessary before
| any advice can be given, for a unsni-
nous vote OF the council is required.
II she is a party. the trouble Is here
| anyhow. And the unanimous vote Of
the council is only advice in any case.
Each government is free 10 reject IL
II 1t pleases.
Nothing could have been made
more clear to the conference
than the right of our Congress-
under eur Constellation to exer-
else its independent Judgment in
all matters of peace and war.
No attempt was made TO q1es-
tion or limit that right. The
United States will, indeed, un-
dertake under Article Y s.respect
and preserve as against external
axgression the territorial inte-
gritty nnd existing political in
dependence of SII members of
the league and that engage
ment constitutes n very grave
and solemn moral obligation.
But IL Ia a moral, not a legal
| obligation, and leaves our Con-
Eress absolutely free 10 put its
own Interpretation upon IL In all
cases that call for action. 1t is
binding in conscience only, not
in law.
| Article X seems TO me TO consti-
tute the very backbone OF the whole
| covenant. without It the league
would be hardly more than an infiu-
entail debating society.
| II has several times been suggested
in public debate and in private con.
ference. that interpretations Of the
! sense in which the United States ac.
tcepts the engagements Of the cove.
nant should be embodied in the in.
strument OF ratification. There Ger
be no reasonable objection to such in.
terpretations accompanying the act
OF ratification provided they do not
form a part Of the formal ratification
| itself Most Of the interpretations
which have been suggested to me en-
body what seems TO me the plair
meaning OF the instrument itself. But
IL such interpretations should consti'
tute a part Of the formal resolution
/ OF ratification, long delays would bt
the inevitable consequence. inssmuct
as all the many governments con-
cerned would have to accept in effect
the language Of the Senate as the Ian.
guage Of the treaty before ratification
/ would be complete
The assent Of the Geman ss-
sepsbly at Weimar would have
/ to be % tRined- among the rest.
and I must frankly say that
could only with the greatest re-
! Iuctance approach that as
sembIy for permission TO read
the treaty as we understand IL
| and as those who framed IL
! quite certainly Understood il.
/ II the United States were TO
qualify the document in any
way, moreover. 1 am confident
from what know of the many
/ conferences and debates which
accompanied the formulation of
the treaty that our example
would Immediately be followed