New-York tribune., 1919-09-11

established by the league which deal
with questions in which the United
States has and can have no interest,
and in which the United States has
evidently been inserted by design. The
exception is amendment No. As, which
provides that the United States shall
have member of the reparation COM
mission, but that such commissioners
Of the United States cannot, except
in the case of shipping, whefe the
interests Of the United States are d.
rectly involved, deal with or vote upon
any other questions before that COM
mission, except under instructlons
from the government of the United
! States.
Reservations
"The committee proposes four reser
vations to be made part OF the reso-
luton of ratification when it is offered.
The committee reserves, of course, the
right to offer other reservations If
they shall so determine. The four
reservations now presented are as fol-
| lows:
"I. The United States reserves to
itself the unconditional right to
withdraw from the league of nations
upon the notice provided IN Article L
Of said treaty Of peace with Ger
many
"The provision in the league cove
nant for withdrawal declares that any
member may withdraw, provided it has
fulfilled all its international obliga-
tons and all it's obligations under the
covenant. There has been much dis
pute as to who would decide if the
question Of the fulfilment of obliga
tions was raised, and it is very gen
orally thought that this question
would be settled by the council of the
league of nations. The best that can
be said about it is that the question of
decision is clouded with doubt.
"On such point as this there must
be no doubt The United States, which
has never broken an international obli
CATION, cannot permit all its existing
treaties to be reviewed and it's con-
duct and honor questioned by other
nations. The same may be said in re-
gard to the fulfilment of the obligaa-
tions to the league. 1t must be made
perfectly clear that the United States
alone is to determine as to the full
filment of it's obligations, and its right
of withdrawal must therefore be un-
conditional, as provided in the reser
vation.
Article X Qualified
"'2. The United States declines to
assume, under the provisions of
Article x, or under any other ar
ticle, any obligation to preserve
the territorial integrity or political
independence of any other country
or to interfere in controversies be-
tween other nations, members Of the
league or not, or to employ the mill.
tary or naval forces of the United
States in such controversies, or 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 coerclng any other
country, or for the purpose of inter-
venton in the internal conflicts or
other controversies which may arise
in any other country, and no man
date shall be accepted by the United
States under Article XXI, Part /, of
the treaty of peace with Germany.
except by action of 4e Congress Of
the United States.
"This reservation is intended to meet
the most vital objection to the league
covenant as it stands. Under no
circumstances must there be any legal
or moral obligation upon the United
States to enter into war or to send its
army and navy abroad or without the
unfettered action Of Congress to i'm
pose economic boycotts on other coun-
tries. sUndcr the Constitution of the
United States the Congress alone has
the power to declare war, and all bills
to raise revenue or affecting the
revenue in any way must originate in
the House of Representatives, be
passed by the Senate, and receive the
signature of the President. These
constitutional rights of Congress must
not be impaired by any agreements
such as are presented in this treaty,
nor can any opportunity of charging
the United States with bad faith be
permitted. No American soldiers or
sailors must be sent to fight in other
lands at the bidding of league of
nations. American lives must not be
sacrificed except by the will and COM
mand of the American people acting
through their constitutional represent.
ativcs in Congress.
"This reservation also covers the sub
jcct of mandates. According to the
league, the acceptance of a mandate
by any member is voluntary, but as to
who shall have authority to refuse or
to accept a mandate for any country
! the covenant of the league is silent
The decision as to accepting a man
date must rest exclusively within the
, control of the Congress of the United
States, as the reservation provides. and
must not be delegated, even by infer
'HNN' W any PSISVldl dScuC VI " al y
delegate or comm iSSiOner.
Domestic Decisions Reserved
, "3 The United States reserves to
itself exclusively the right to decide
, what questions are within its do
mestic jurisdiction. and declares
, that all domestic and political ques-
tions relating to its affairs, includ-
ing immigration, coastwise traffic,
the tariff, commerce and all other
domestic questions, are solely within
the jurisdiction of the United States
and are not under this treaty sub
mitted in any way either to arbitra-
ton, or to the conside ration of the
! council, or of the assembly of the
} league of nations, OR to the decision
or recommendation of any other
, power
| "This reservation speaks for itself
1t is not necessary to follow out here
all tortuous windings which to those
who have followed them through the
labyrinth disclose the fact that the
, league under certain conditions will
have power to pass upon and decide
questions of immigration and tariff, as
we'll as the others mentioned in the
, reservation. 1t is believed by the com
mittee that this reservation relieves
! the United States from any dangers OF
{ any obligation in this direction.
THE fourth and last reservation is
1 as follows: