The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-07-31

. Association has stood for certain prin
] ciples as American aims, while III
war was on, at the time Of the arnis
i tice and throughout the negotiation
ut Versailles. We grounded them o
President Wilson's fourteen points an
his other utterances; but we set ther
forth last November In our ow
Declaration Of Principles in state
ment widely signed, which becam
our platform.
| Some of these principles wer
adopted---others overridden in tn
first drafts OF the covenant and of tn
peace treaty.
In common with liberal groups tn,
world over we urged notifications o
those first drafts in line with oul
principles and we have seen import
ant changes made in the direction o.
meeting them.
We believe that the covenant repre-,
sents a great advance over anything
the common people of the earth coulo
rely upon prior to 1914; that to reject
| II would set the world back incalcul.
ably and offer no surety that anything
half SO good could within reasonable
time again be achieved by the COM
mon consent of the nations.
As against this, we must weigh pro-
visions in the treaty and constructions
upon the covenant which contravene
the principles we have stood for.
We have the authority of no less an
expert in foreign affairs and interna-
tional law than Senator Root that it is
entirely possible for the United States
Senate, without throwing over the
good inherent in treaty and covenant,
and without throwing back the whole
arrangement for another protracted
period Of negotiations, to make such
reservations and interpretations as
shall make perfectly clear the con-
struction which the American people
place upon the document.
We single out three such factors:
"a Shantung and Kiao Chau are
Chinese. China was our ally. The
Shantung concessions to Germany
violated the principle of self-determ-
nation. Wrested from Germany by
conquest, they were transferred to
Japan, in confirmation of secret
treaty such as the American president
said should have no place in the peace
negotiations. We have the oral word
of the japanese plenipotentiary that
Shantung shall be given back to China.
The provisions Of the treaty Of peace
run to the contrary. The acceptance
of the peace treaty should be accom-
panied by clear declaration that
Shantung should be restored at once
to China We would make this the
precedent for the successive relin-
quishment of other spheres of Euro
pean control within the Chinese re-
public.
f2) One of the cardinal principles
we have stood for has been the right
Of self determination - that people
shall not be handed about against
their wish or held under foreign yoke.
The facts as to racial composition and
popular aspiration of border regions
in Central Europe have been too COM
plex and obscure to be settled with
any surety at Versailles. The oppor-
tunity for rectifcation should be Kept |
open.
The construction placed by some
upon Article X and other
sections of the treaty and covenant is
that they perpetuate the boundaries
set up at this time, with all Europe in
turmoil, with feeling high, with made
1uate information and crude instru-
nents for judging racial composition
and desires; and that they commit the
United States not onl yto acquiesce,
)ut to exert all its economic and mill
.ary power to guarantee such boun-
laries SO long as members Of the
eague hold on to disputed territory,
whatever the desires of its people.
Therefore we would include in the
Senate resolution accepting the treaty
/ clear-cut Interpretation that in the
yiew Of the United States there is
nothing in the document which in
iibits the right of revolution, or of
genuine redress and readjustment of
boundaries through orderly processes
provided by the League.
(3) We regard the protracted ex-
fusion of other nations, especially the
lew republic Of Germany and Russia
IS a threat to the peace OF the world,
N invitation to a renewal Of the bal
nee Of power. We are not in sym
'athy with the exclusion Of any ma
ion because its form of popular gov