The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-08-22
Tells Lodge Committee Moral
Obligations Are More Binding
Than Any Legal Promise.
PRECEDENT is SMASHED
In Contradiction to Precedents
of 100 Years President and
Senate Committee Holds
Round Table Discussion.

Washington, Aug. 21.-President
Wilson, interpreting the league OF nav
tions covenant for the senate foreign
relations committee, declared it i'm
posed no legal obligation for the use
of American military forces in pro-
tecting the territory or independence
of any other nation.
But he added that the covenant
might involve, in certain circum-
stances, ian absolutely compelling
moral obligation" which might be
even stronger than legal promise.
Pressed for more exact definition
by the committee members who in
sisted that the whole arrangement
was "a rope of sand" he asserted
that on the contrary he considered 1t
as placing the nations in IAN attitude
of comradeship and protection"
which would compel respect for the
principles of justice and liberty.
Meeting the committee in a round
table discussion in the East room Of
the White House, in contradiction to
the precedents of more than a CEN
tening through the medium of a relay
OF public stenographers, the president
went into many of the details of the
peace negotiations and touched on all
the hotly debated questions which
have divided the senate in its consid-
Grafton Of the peace treaty.
Article 10 of the covenant, guar
anteeing the integrity of the league
members against aggression, he de-
clared should leave to each nation
complete freedom of choice as to the
application of force" Even II the
American representative on the coun-
Gil Joined in unanimous recon-
mendation for military action the
final decision for peace or war must
rest so far as concerned the United
States with congress, he said.
Japan's Written Promise.
Whatever advice the council gave
under its authority to take such action
as is deemed appropriate" must also
be deemed appropriate by the United
States to bind this government, he
argued, though in the background
would be such potential moral force
that he doubted IL the nation would
often decline to act.
The president revealed that Japan's
promise to return Shantung province
to China was reduced to written form
in the minutes of the peace confer
ence. He asserted he had every
confidence" that the promise would
be carried out and told the senators
ii was "the best that could be got"
ont of the negotiations, Japan having
given notice she would withdraw from
the conference If her demands were
refused. The American delegates, he
said, had tried to keep the nation free
from obligations in European affairs
so far as 1t was honorably possible
to do So" but he assented that IL
might be necessary to keep some
American troops in the Rhine district
ohuoi tho treaty lot Ine next d
years.
He declared the nation would be it's
own sole judge whether it's obliga-
tions had been fulfilled under the dis
puted withdrawal clause of the league
covenant; that purely domestic ques-
tions were safe from the leagues in
terference, and that the Monroe doc
trine was clearly preserved.
The league, the president explained.
was built on the plan OF General
SHUTS. OF South Africa.
Some Questions Not Answered.
Mr.. Wilson revealed that he had
suggested that the United States take
no part of the German reparation but
had asked that the conference reserve
disposition OF the German Pacific is
land OF zap on a suggestion that IL
was needed for an American naval
station.
Some OF the senator's questions the
president declined to answer on the
ground of International policy. How
the American delegates voted on
Japan's proposal for q racial equality
clause In the league covenant he said