New-York tribune., 1919-06-22
Letter to Lod &c Shows
How Senate Can Ac-
cept Covenant With
Vital Reservations.
Would Safeguard
Monroe Doctrine
Right to Withdraw Is
Included and Danger of
Embodiment Lessened
Ne,U York T1ibume
Wdshin0tOn Bureau

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, June 21.-A plan of
action on the league of nations and the
treaty of peace for the Senate Repub-
licans was outlined to-day by ex-Sen-
ator Elihu Root, after many confer
ences with Republican leaders, which
seemed tonight to have the approval
of almost the entire Republican men,
bership of the Senate. Mr. Root out
lined his plan in letter to Senator
Henry Cabot Lodge, Republican leader
of the Senate. He recommends the rat
ification of the treaty of peace with
reservations as to the league of ma
tions.
Mr.. Root would have the Senate re-
fuse to concur in Article X of the
league covenant. The effect of this
reservation would be to exempt the
United States from the possible duty
of any world policing or from guaran-
teeing the territorial integrity of ma
tions in the Eastern Hemisphere. An
other reservation would safeguard the
Monroe Doctrine, and would leave no
doubt whatever that such internal
questions as immigration, customs
duties, ETC., could not become the sub
ject of inquiry by the league.
Clears Way to Leave League
A third reservation would clear the
way for the United States or any
other country to leave the league after
two years notice, without any other
restrictions whatever. AS now drafted,
the covenant, in the opinion of many,
would permit any one nation to pre-
vent the withdrawal of any other by
claim that the nation desiring to
withdraw had not fulfilled all of her
obligations.
Mr.. Root declares that the plan of
approving the treaty with reserva-
tions would not delay peace, and
would not lose the great advantages
which he sees in the league idea,
once the features which he thinks OBJ
jectonable are removed. If the Sen
ate should ratify with reservations, H.
says, the reservations would become
binding without delay, unless one of
the signatories at once made a pro-
test against the entry of the United
States with these reservations.
May Call for Allies View
If there should be any doubt in the
minds of Senators about the legality
of this method, it could be removed by
calling at once on the four principal
nations. associated with the United
States as to whether they had any OBJ
lection to the entry of the United
States into the league with these res
ervations.
For the first time publicly Mr.. Root
expressed the very flat opinion that
the amendments to the league covenant,
drafted supposedly to meet his objec-
tions, did not meet the issue. Refer
ring to the Knox resolution, Mr.. Root
declared he should be glad to see the
peace terms and the league covenant
separated.
Oppose Fight on League
Mr.. Root and Will H. Hayes, chair
man of the Republican National COM
mittee, have both been urging in pr,-
vate conferences with Republican
Senators for the last few days that
the fight should be made in this way,
rather than in the form of straight.
out fight, which would be construed
by the public as an attempt to kill the
whole league Of nations idea.
Senator Knox to-day began a re-
Continued on page three