New-York tribune., 1919-09-25
Mr.. McCumber's Position

misunderstanding has arisen as to
Senator McCumber's attitude toward
Reservation Two and the principle en-
bodied in it. Some Of this is due to
language used by the Senator in his
speech of September IS. in which he
criticised the committees reservation
and offered a substitute for it. The
Senator said Of the reservation: "lt is
an amendment pure and simple, and an
amendment to the most important arti-
Gle in the league of nations" He also
said: "1ts purpose is to take the United
States as a power for the peace Of the
world out of the league entrey.'
How it would do these things Mr.
McCumber failed to explain. His idea
seemed to be that the wording of the
committee reservation was too harsh and
too unsympathetic to the high purposes
Of the league-that it indicated dis
position on the part of Congress to
antagonize the council rather than to
cooperate with it, Yet the North
Dakota Senator himself accepts the basic
principle of the committees reserva-
ton-that no recommendation of the
council requiring the use Of armed force
or the application Of an economic boy
colt can be binding on this country cx-
cept with the assent Of Congress-
The committees reservation reads:
"'That the United States declines to
assume. under the provisions of Article
or under any other article any obligation
TO preserve the territorial integrity or
political independence Of any other coun-
try or 20 interfere in controversies be-
tween other nations, members Of the
league or not, or to employ the military
and naval forces OF the United States in
such controversies. to adopt economic
measures for the protection Of any other
country. whether a member of the league
or not. against external aggression or for
the purpose Of coercing any other country
or for the purpose of intervention in the
internal conflicts or other controversies
which arise in any other country. and no
mandate shall be accepted by the United
States under Article NNII. Par. |. of the
except
action of the Congress of the United
States"
Mr. McCumber's substitute rcscrva-
ton reads:
THAT the Suggestions Of the council OF
the league Of nations as TO tine means Of
carrying the Obligations Of Article X into
H,.;-
undertaking under the provisions of Ar
tcle X, the execution Of which NAV REQUIRE
the use OF American military or naval
forces or economic measures can under
the Constitution be carried OUT onlv bv
the action Of the Congress. and that the
failure of the Congress to adopt the suc-
gestlons Of the council of the league or
TO provide such military or naval forces or
economlc measures shall not constitute a
violation Of the treaty"
The McCumber reservation takes no
notice Of the question of mandates. But
apart from that omission it is AS plain
denial of legal or moral obligation 10
accept council recommendation which
doesn't meet with the approval Of Con-
gress as the committees reservation is
The purpose Of both reservations is
to dispose Of tho theory that the coun-
clls decisions apply automatically or
create moral obligation which the gov
crnment of every member state must
respect. In coloquy with Mr..
McCumber at the White House con-
ference of August 10 last President
Wilson conceded that only moral obi
cation rested on Congress to honor
recommendation of the council. And he
also admitted that it was proper for the
Senate to define that obligation concur
rcntly with the ratification of the treaty.