The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-07-24
IFICATION Of
LEAGUE SOUGHT BY
TAFT IN NEW PLAN
GIVEN SENATORS
Former President Seeks to
Unite Factions With In
terpretations" in Senate
Acceptance of the
-, Covenant

w doHluSloH, July Zp.-A
plan for Interpretations" in
Senate acceptance of the lea
que of nations has been sug-
gested by former President
Taft in the hope of uniting on
middle ground enough demo-
cratic and republican senators
to defeat any radical amend
ment of the covenant and in the
end obtain its ratification.
The suggestion has been received with
earnest consideration by the group of
republicans who favor the league idea
and who already are at work ON a
reservations which they declare they
have reason to believe will be accept
ed by the administration. Admistrat ton
leaders, however, unwilling to concede
that any reservations will be neces-
sary. still insist they will have the votes
nant MS 1t Is. q
So confident are the league repub-
Hcans of the success of their plan that
some of them believe President Wilson
will publicly accept it to smooth the
way to acceptance of the league.
some republican senator's who have
seen the President in the last few days
have come away from the White House
with the impression that Mr.. Wilson,
while not encouraging reservations if
they can be avoided might not be ad-
verse to such interpretations as would
leave the league fabric unimpaired.
They say, however. that this impress
Sion Is not based on any direct state
ment by the President.
SENSATION IN SENATE
Mr.. Taft's interpretations, which Gre
ated sensation in the Senate because
of his well-known advocacy of rsser-
walton, was composed in two letters
to Will Hays, the republican national
chairman, copies of which reached re-
publican senators today. They touched
upon many features of the treaty con-
troversy and emphasized the former
PRESIDENTS belief that only by accept
az1ce of some reservations could the
treaty be ratified
Six specific Interpretation proposals
are outlined which Mr. Taft says he is
OD1ectlOn
a large group of republicans who
favor league. He counts As demo-
cratic senators as supporting the
PRESIDENT in the treaty fight, and saws
that should three republicans. be COM
United to vote against material amend
'nents no such proposals could receive |
Senate majority. !
TE PRESIDENTS STATEMENT |
While the letters were being circulated |
hong republican senators today the first |
Jrbllc expression on the Shantung settle |
ment came from the White House in the |
form OF statement declaring s'altogether |
false" published reports that the Presi- |
dent had formulated the provision. The
statement continued that Mr.. Wilson had |
.exerted the influence he was at liberty |
to exercise in the circumstances" to Sc !
cure modification of the arrangement |
giving control of the peninsular to japan. |
The two letters to Mr. Hays, copies OF
which were received today, do not outline |
definitely the sig interpretations suggest |
ed by Mr.. Taft, but they are referred to |
as having been contained in a previous |
unpublished communication. These six /
stipulations are understood to be SUBJ
stantially as follows:
SIX STIPULATIONS
l. That upon two years notice the |
United States could cease to be a mem
Der of the league without having the
league pass upon whether we had fulfilled |
all her obligations under the covenant
2 That self-governed colonies and do
minions could not be represented on the
league council at the same time with the
mother government, or be included in
any of those clauses where the parties to
the dispute are excluded from its settle
ment.
8 That the functioning of the council
under article 10 shall be advisory only,
and that each member shall be left free
to determine questions of war in its own
way, the action of the United States
resting with Congress.
T. That differences between the nations
regarding immigration, the tariff and
other domestic questions shall not be left
to the league for settlement
s. That the Monroe doctrine is to be
reserved for use by the United States.
6. That the United States reserves IKE
right to withdraw Internationally at the
end of 10 years or at least to terminate
her obligations under article TO-
Mr.. Taft wrote that these interpreter
lions would not weaken the league cove
rant but would, he believed. insure rati-
fcation, He suggested that he would not
appear publicly at this time as their
sponsor because it might bias some re-
publicans against them.
Those interpretations, Mr.. TAFT
wrote, could be made without weak
enins the covenant. The argument IF
administration senators against inc.u-
sion of any such provisions in the RAJ
ification has been. however. that any
qualification at all would necessitate
negotiation with the other nations AMI
encourage them to adopt reservations.
1t is known that in his white house
conference with republicans the Presi-
(Continued on Page Eighteen.)
Tho Thousand