The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-06
Be Eliminated or
Modified to Allow Free
dom In Making War
DOES NOT OBJECT
TO ARTICLE ELEVEN
Unanimous Consent of All Nations Re-
quired In It Will Protect the United
States-Made Public His Letter to


quired In It Will Protect the United
States-Made Public His Letter to
Borah
NEW YORK, Aug. 6.-Charles Evans
Hughes yesterday made public his let
ter of reply to Senator Borah, who re-
Gently commended the objections of Mr..
Hughes to Article X. of the league of
nations covenant, and asked why he did
not extend. the objections equally to
Article II. The letter of Mr.. Hughes
follows:
Boiling Landing, Aug. ,, 1919.
Hon. William f. Borah, United States
Senate, Washington, d. G.
Ny dear Senator Borah: I am glad
to receive your letter of July 90, which
letter to Senator Hale, l did not think
it necessary to suggest an additional
reservation with respect to Article NJ.
of the covenant of the league of nations
for the following reasons:
First: The proposed reservations
with regard to domestic questions and
the matters of national policy embraced
| in the Monroe doctrine apply to all the
operations of the league and thu,
qualify Article XI, as well as the other
articles of the covenant by withdraw
| ing these matters from the eonsidera
| ton of the league or of any of its agen
| cies. 20
| Second: Article XI declares that
/ "anv war or threat of war is 81
/ matter of concern to the whole league.
| But if it be a matter of ''eoncern,
/ still the league is to act only as pro
| vided in the covenant 1t is furthe
provided in Article II that g the League
| shall take any action that may b
| deemed wise and effectual to safeguar,
the place of nations. What may b
deemed TO nbe &. wise and effectual
i mist. of course, be determined at tn
time and in the light of the situation
as disclosed In short, there is no pres
emf undertaking beyond an agrecmen
to confer in order to determine wha
is "wise and effectual, the course o
J
suit of the conference.
The article contemplates meetin
of the council or of the assembly c
the league, and, in either case, as tn
matter is not one permitting deci
ion by less number. there can be L
decision without the unanimous agree
ment on the part of the members {
the league represented at the meetin
As the United States is a member
the council. nothing can be determine
to be ''wise and effectual' withol
the concurrence of the representati'
of the United States sees fit not to
| represented at the meeting.
: The ease of dispute within the pr
! | vince of the league falls under Art
cles XII to XVII of the covenan
! which | need not review.
/ find in Article II no guaranty
:, territorial integrity, or of the polite
!, independence of any state. or any a
i sumption of any obligation to NAL
4 war, or to declare or maintain an ee
: nomic boycott or blockade, or to tai
Q any other action whatever, unless t
I | United States, availing itself of
o. privileges as a member of the counc
= concurs in a decision that such a eour
h / is both wise and effeetual The Unit
# States. as it seems to me, will be entiI
J. ly free to reach its conclusions aceor
VI ing to the merits of the case, and | 5
n no injury to our interests in this pr
is vision.
Article X. as | view it, presents
different question. The vice of Arti,
X is that. unless a different view
clearly set forth as a part of the
strument of ratification, it would see
n | to import the assumption of a prese
h guaranty with respect to the terrific
d al integrity of all members of Il
9 league The provision in Article
. that the council shall advise cup
= the means by which this obligati
: shall be fulfilled > might be taken
mean that the conference of the cou
I'll was to be only as to the method