Arizona republican., 1919-08-20
[RepubIIcan 4. ?. Leased WIrel

lRepupilCdn A. F, Leased WiTeI
 WASHINGTON. Aug. 19-Presidenl Wilson, interpreting the league of na- tions covenant today for the senate foreign relations committee. declared it imposed no legal obligation for the use of the American military force in pro- tecting the territory or independence of any other nation.
 But he added that the covenant might involve, in certain circum stances, an absolutely compelling moral obligation which might be even stronger than legal promise.
 Pressed for a more exact definition by committee members, who insisted that the whole arrangement was rope of sand, he asserted that on the contrary he considered it as placing the nations in -an attitude of com radeship and protection which would compel respect for the principles of justice and liberty.
 Shatters Lona Precedent
 Meeting the committee in round table discussion in the East room of the White House. in contradiction to the precedents of more than a cen tury and the whole nation listening through the medium of a relay of pub lie stenographers. the president went into many of the details of the peace negotiations and touched on all the hotly debated questions which have d- vided the senate in it's consideration of the peace treaty.
 Article X of the covenant, guaran- teeing the integrity of league members against aggression, he declared, would leave to each nation complete freedom of choice as to the application of force" Even if the American repre- sentatives on the council joined in an unanimous recommendation for mili- tary action the final decisien for peace or war must rest. so far as concerned the United States, with congress, he said
 Whatever advices the council gave under it's authority to take such action as is deemed appropriate must also be deemed appropriate by the United States to be binding on this govern ment, he argued, though in the back ground would be such a potential force that he doubted if the nation would cften decline to act.
 Reveals Important Feature
 The president revealed that Japan's promise to return Shantung province to China was reduced to written form in the minutes of the peace conference. He aserted he had every confidence that the promise would be carried out. and told the senators it was 'the bes, that could be got' out of the negotia- tions, Japan having given notice she would withdraw from the conference if her demands were refused The Ameri- dpippraf fee 1o eotd keep the nation free from obligations in European affairs ESQ far as it was honorably possible to do so.r but he asserted that it might be necessary to keep some American troops in the Rhine district under the treaty for the next 15 years
 He declared the nation would be it's own sole judge whether it's obligations had been fulfilled under the disputed withdrawal clause of the league coven- ant; that purely domestic questions were safe from the leagues interfer- ence; and that the Monroe doctrine was clearly preserved.
 The league, the president explained. was built on the plan of General Shuts of South Africa.
 Would Take Pacific HoIdinu
 Mir. Wilson revealed that he had sug- gested Ehe United States take no part of the German reparation but had asked that the conference reserve dis position of the German Pacific island of Yap on a suggestion that it was needed for an American naval station
 Some of the senators questions. the president declined to answer OF the ground of international policy. How the American delegates voted on Jap- ans prlposal for radical equity clause m the league covenant he said he could not disclose Tin the interest of international good' and for the same reason he said he could not go into the negotiations over the French frontier or give the committee a copy of the record of Japan's Shantung promise.
 Early action on the treaty was urged in statement by the president at the outset of the conference This was necessary, he held, so that a peace basis might be reached and the other treaties under negotiations now at Yer sailles were being delayed until the world learned what would happen to the treaty with Germany. He said he saw no reasonable objection to senate reservations but thought 1t unwise to incorporate them in the ratification itself.
 In replying to a long series of ques- tions by Senator Brandegee, republican, Connecticut the president was led into an exhaustive discussion from the CO., mingling on moral and legal obligations in treaties.
 "A moral obligation" said MT. Will son is. of course, superior to a legal