The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-08-20
PRESIDENT REPLIES
FRANKLY TO LODGE
QUERIES ON LEAGUE
DRAMATIC CONFERENCE IN
WHITE HOUSE WITHOUT PRECE.
DENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY


Washington. Aug. 1s.-Under con
ditions without nrecedent in the his.
- ,,.osi
'o'S VI e'''"'' ''e"''
dent Wilson and the senate iorcis" "
relations committee met today in the
,,,,o ,o,,, =, ,ha white Uouse to talk
,, 4, .
oNer '"e 'ea'' WV"
league or nations covenant
Besides presenting one of the most
dramatic developments, attendant upon
the conclusion of peace, the meeting
established a milestone in the trend
toward publicity in treaty considera'
ton. Figuratively the doors OF the
conference were wide open. Expert
stenographers had been provided 10
turn out for the public in short relays
q word .for.word record of all that
transpired. II was the first time, al
-. that representatives of the senate
while discussing affairs with the 9TH
or branch of the treaty.making power
could question at the same time the
head OF the delegation which negotiat-
cd the treaty under discussion The
president sat in the conference rather
RESPONSIBLE utltSdlt W
than as the head of the national gov
ernment.
Although Mr.. Wilson himself ois'
cussed the first draft of the league
covenant of the committee at the IA
nous White House dinner of last
March. senators said there was no ex-
act parallel for today's formal ques'
tionine of a chief executive on a treaty
actually before the committee for rati'
fication; the nearest approach, they
said. had been the action of President
Washington in going before the SEN
ate itself in executive session to dis
cuss questions involved in treaties
with the Indians.
More than one of the witnesses ques'
toned by the committee, including
Secretary Lansing, have declared the
president personally negotiateo oe'ai's
Of the league of nations covenant and
the Shantung provision, and that ne
alone OF the American ue'esa'e 80,
give some OF the inioi i'"',o"
The conference oiiereu 'ne
portunity Tor the presiuen' ~
some OF the ihost oe. torr,
nents OF the treaty III us .ia
and some oi Tue rhora
course IN the peace ne &c
are IL meihpers Vi ''e
Ioiio"s' ,,o,,,,.atts
Senators Louse' ,,ns,,' DaLota'
chalrlnah' Nc uii'Dei' - Ida.
Brandesee' Noi''lecticu'' panr.
no; faii' New MeN,oo' -, coli.
syiVahla' fiaroi's' O - New
fornla; New ihu'aiia "'. ,J;.o,,
Hampshire repuui,oan9' ,,,sa,,,.in,,i.
COCK, Neprasha' " '''''.,'.'' Ot,;o.
swanson virginia >,o,,o,o and
smith, ArlZoia' ii'''',a''
Shields tennessee oto,,ar+
Cine run text u, ,ne .a,,,.aad
which fresioeh' nson ,.o,at'
TO tne commune o .,ss white
tions on tooay Nis' ~ ~ :, this
f1ouse ID %
paper.
-"use V"@'
After the president had uelVefeu his
statement Senator Lodge salu'
Mr. President. so far as am per
sonally concerned-and thinh l repre-
sent perhaps the majority OF the com
mittee in that respective nave no
thought of entering upon arguments as
to interpretations or points OF tha'
character: but the committee was very
desirous of getting information on Ger
tain points which seem not clear ana
on which they thought information
would be Of value to have in consloera
ton Of the treaty which they thihh
/ may say for myself and others, desire
to hasten in every way possible.
"Your reference to the necessity or
action leads me to ask one question: II
we have to restore peace to the world it
is necessary, assume, that there siioui'
be treaties with Austria, Hungary, Tur-
key and Bulgaria. These treaties are
all more or less connected with the
treaty with Germany. the question 1
should like to ask is, what the prospects
are of receiving those treaties for ac'
tion?"