Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-02-27
WILSON FREE IN DISCUSSION
 OF COVENANT

(Continued From Page One.)
 press would have the opportunity to pass on the apportionment of armam- ent for every nation concerned. The president said this, section had been misconstrued.
 Concerning the clause giving the right to the league to consider acts
 threatening world peace, President
 Wilson said that the clause was inde- finite and would be made more. clear by writing in safeguard which would require that every recOmmen- dation by the council should be unani- nous.
 It also was sai dthat the president informed the senators and representa- tives that the disarmament provis- ion would not interfere with the mili- tary training of men, but that it was evident that trained body of men would not be danger to world peace if their armament supplies were kept in check.
 Use of Force.
 MT. Wilson said the provision from forcing the determination of the coun- cil in case it was disobeyed by any nation would apply in only one case
 and that where the party against
 whom decision was rendered had
 property including territory in its possession which it would not surren- der.
 In conceding that some sovereignty must be surrendered by membership in the league the president declared it was inconceivable that there could by any concert of action by nations to eliminate war and protect the weak unless each nation was willing to give up something. Denying statements that the league meant usurpation of the power of congress to declare war the president said the league merely was promise by the treaty-making power that it's congress would do all in its power to carry out the agreement, a situation which prevailed in many present treaties. a Senator Lodge refused to see news ter the conference.
 ''The president felt that if the league is not ratified" said Chairman Hitchcock, 'Hthere will be despair throughout the world because of fail ure in the effort to secure permanent peace. Serious complication, the president felt, might result at an ear 1 ly date from failure of the league. Accounts of both democratic and re- publican members of the committees who discussed the conference varied
 only in very minor details.
 Depend on Big Five. The strength of the league would rest on the friendship of America, Great Britain, France, Italy and
 Japan, the president said and he
 expressed the opinion that serious
 trouble between these five nations was "unthinkable" Should one of these
 withdraw from the league or in any way fail to support, impotence of the league might result. "The league is already in use" the
 president stated, through the refer ence of the questions on various sub jeots which have been referred to in- ternational commissions"
 Rests on Good Will. On the question of possible inter- ference by the league with internal domestic questions, such as immigra tion. the president told the senators he did not regard such questions as being within the purview or jursdic tion of the league. Success of the league, the president was said to feel, rests on the good will and good faith of the nations and not upon their pO- tential power.
 In the discussion of the compost tion of the league and executive coun- cil the Mexican and Japanese prob lems with which the United States is concerned were reported to have been
 freely used as illustrations. In this connection it was said that the presi-
 dent rejected the argument that Amer ican immigration would be ques- tion determinable by the league. Questions regarding Great Britain's five votes in the league and the pos sibility of the British empire acquir- ing more than one vote in the ex-
 ecutive council elicited the statement from the president that such pos sibility was very remote as the four votes in the league outside of the five great powers were demanded by the smaller nations and that election would be made by the forty or fifty nations comprised in the league. The president was said to have told the senators and representatives that the league constitution adopted was proposed by Great Britain, but was not the one drawn by General Shuts, one of the authorities of the British authorities on the league proposal.
 Drafts presented by the United States, France and Italy were rejected. Explains League. Washington, Feb, 26.-President Wilson tonight gave members of. the senate and house foreign relations committee a detailed explanation of the proposed constitution of the league of nations. Dining at the White House in re- SpOnSe to an invitation sent bv wire