The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-08-23
Mr.. Taft's Plan of Interpretive
Reservations May Solve the
Treaty Problem.
LIKED BY MANY SENATORS
President Wilson Rebuffed by Foreign
Relations Committee-Austria Gets
Her Peace Terms - News
From Russia Not Cheerful
More Trouble With
Mexico.
sy EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

William Fl. Taft, actuated by the two
worthy motives of trying to aid in the
speedy stabiIizing of world peace and
of averting possible disaster to his par
ty in the next presidential elections
made notable contribution last week
toward the ratification of the peace
treaty and League of Nations covenant
by the senate. In letters to Republican
National Chairman Hays he suggested
way in which he thought this might
be brought about with the votes of
those Republican senators who are
friendly to the league but are doubtful
concerning certain of its articles. Mr..
Taft's plan is that the treaty be rati-
fed with interpretive reservations"
that would satisfy the consciences OF
those senators and that would be ac-
ceptable to the administration. These.
not being amendments or fiat reserva-
lions, would not necessitate the recon-
initial of the pact to peace confer
ence.
Making it clear that he favOrs rati-
fication of the treaty as it stands, to be
amended later by the league if neces-
sary, Mr.. Taft declares it to be ''the
part of statesmen to recognize the ext
gencies, personal, partisan and polit-
ical Of situation in seeking to achieve
real progress and reform" He admits
that there are reasonable and sincere
criticisms made against the league and
believes these must be satisfied in
order to obtain the nineteen Republican
votes necessary to ratification. This he
seeks to do with his suggested reser-
vationS, which cover most of the ar
ticles criticised but ignore the Shan
tung feature. This latter, he asserts
has been deliberately exaggerated.
Mr.. Hays looked with favor on Mr..
Taft's plan, and in Washington many
Republican senators were said to be
so impressed with it's value that they
already were at work on program
of interpretive reservations. President
Wilson had been aware of the Taft
titude toward them was not stated
The administration senators however,
were said TO be still determined TO at
tempt to force unreserved ratification.
Mr.. Wilson, though suffering from a
slight attack of Illness, kept up his
work in behalf of the treaty, calling
into conference at the White House
Il number of the opposing senator's,
Most of these asserted that the presi.
dent had not been able to change their
views or intentions by. his arguments
and explanations. and the debate in
the senate did not indicate that he
had converted any of them 1t is only
fair to assume that few of these sena.
/ tors are governed by anything but
| patriotism and honesty in taking the
attitude they do but it is hard to see
anything but partisanship in such az
| ton as that of the majority of the
| committee on foreign relations the
! other day. The president. in the in.
terest of business, asked for authority
to appoint Professionally an American
member of the interallied commission
on reparations pending action on the
treaty This the committee refused.
adopting instead Senator Knox's reso-
luton declaring:
'"That it is the judgment of the COM
mittee that until the treaty is ratified
no power exists, either in the presi'
dent or congress. to execute any provi-
sion of the proposed treaty, either pro-
vislonally or otherwise"
And yet, only three weeks ago Sen
ator Knox declared that the treaty OF
peace will apply to the United States
when ratified by three other powers