The Washington times., 1919-02-15

PARIS, Feb. 15.-President Wilson!
speech at the peace conference at tn,
reading Of the draft of the League o.
Nations follows:
"Mr. Chairman: I have the
honor, and assume it a very great
privilege, OF reporting in the
name of the commission consti-
tuted by this conference on the
League of Nations. I am. happy
to say that il is a unanimous re-
port, unanimous report from the
representatives of fourteen ma
tions-the United States, Great
Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Bel
gium, Brazil, China. CZecho-Slo-
yakia, Greece, Poland, Portugal,
Roumania and Serbia.
81 think it will be serviceable
and interesting If I, with your
permission, read the document as
the only report we have to make"
Cites Hypothetical Case.
President Wilson then read tn,
draft. When he reached Article ny
and had read through the second par
agraph, the President paused and said
81 pause to point out that a
misconceptiop might arise in con-
nection with one of the sentences
.. ! have just read-If any party
shall refuse to comply. the council
shall propose measures necessary
to give effort to the recommends
tions.'
"A case in point, a purely hypo-
thetical case, is this: Suppose
there is in the possession OF A
particular power a piece Of terri
tory, or some other substantial
thing in dispute, to which il is
claimed that it is not entitled.
Suppose that the matter is sub
mitted to the executive council
for recommendation as to the set
tlement of the dispute, diplomacy
having failed. and suppose that
the decision is in favor Of the
party which claims the subject
matter Of dispute. as against the
party which has the subject mat
ter in dispute
Council to Force Surrender.
Then il the party in posses
sion Of the subject matter in dis
pute merely sits still and does
nothing, 1t has accepted the dcci-
sion Of the council, in the sense
that II makes no resistance; but
something must be done to sec
that ii SurTcnders the subject
matter in dispute.
'In such a case, the only case
contemplated. it is provided that
the executive council may then
consider what steps will be neccs-
sary to obliEe the party against
whom judgment has been given
to comply with the decisions of
the council
After having read Article Mn
President Wilson also stopped and
said:
Let me say that before being
embodied in this document this
was the subject matter of a very
careful discussion by representa-
tiveS Of the five greater parties.
and that their unanimoUs C"nclU-
sion is the matter embodied in
this article"
No Difference as TO Objects.
After having read the entire docu-
ment, President Wilson continued a
follows:
IT gives me pleasure to add TO
this formal reading of the result
Of our IaboTs that the character
of the discussion " hiCh occurred
at the SittinES Of the commission
was not only OF the most con-
struCtiVe, but Of the most en-
cOuraginE sort. 1t was obvious
throughout our discussion that,
although there were subjects upon
which there were individual dif-
ferences Of judgment with regard
TO the method by which our OBJ
jects should be obtained. there
were practically at no point any
serious differences Of opinion or
motive as to the objects which
We were seeking.
Indeed, while these debates
were not made the opportunity for
the expression Of enthusiasm and
sentiments, l think the other
members Of the commission will
agree with me that there was an
undertone Of high respect and Of
enthusiasm for the thing We were