The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-07-31
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.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

William III. Taft, actuated by the two
worthy motives of trying to aid in the
speedy stabilizing of world peace and
of averting possible disaster to his par
ty in the next presidential elections
made a 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
q 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 it's 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 &C.
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 Il clear that he favors rati.
fication OF the treaty as 1t 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.
zeal, 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 its value that they
already were at work on program
of interpretive reservations. President
Wilson had been aware of the Taft
suggestions for several days, but his at.
titude toward them was not stated.
The administration senator's, however,
were said to be still determined to at.
tempt to force unreserved ratification.
Mr.. Wilson, though suffering from
slight attack of Illness. kept up his
work In behalf OF the treaty, calling
into conference Mt the White House
a 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 II Is hard to see
anything but partisanship IN such ac
tion 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
10 appoint Professionally an American
member Of the interallied commission
on Preparations pending action on the
treaty. This the committee refused.
adopting instead Senator Knox's reso-
luton declaring:
"That II 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-
visionally or otherwise"
And yet, only three weeks ago Sem
ator Knox declared that the treaty of
peace viii apply TO the United States
when ratified by three other powerA