Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-09-10
FAVOR MANY CHANGES
IN LEAGUE BEFORE
ADOPTION
WANT EQUAL VOTE
DEMAND THAT u. s. BE GIVEN
SAME PRIVILEGES IN LEAGUE
AS ENGLAND IN REPORT MADE
PUBLIC TO-DAY.

Washington Sept rU-F Character.
lied as an alliance which will breed
wars instead Of securing peace the
German peace treaty including the
covenant for league of nations, vas
formally reported to the senate today
by IN" foreign relations committee
with for y-tiye amendments and four
reservations
II will be the first great document
or lis KIND to be discussed in the op,n
without the confines OF executive
sessions
Accompanying the treaty was the
majority report Of the foreign rcla-
lions committee. subscribed to iy
every Republican member excepting
Senator NcCumber OF North Dakota.
explaining the amendments and resrr-
Vations, all OF which. it Vas declalet.
were governed by single purpose.
and that is To guard American rights
and sovereignty the invasion Of
which would stimulate breaches o,
faith encourage conflicts and gene.
ate wars"
The reservations propose
/ Unconditional rsh to with.
draw from the league
D"clination TO assume any
OF the obligations Of the much
discussed article ten except by
action OF the Congress OF the
United States
3 Reservng to the lnhed
States he exclusive right to dc.
eide what questions are within
its own domestic jurisdiction.
4 Absolute reservation of the
Monroe doctrine TO the Judgment
OF the United States alone
The princiuaI amendments are pro-
posed TO provide.
Equal voting power tor the
United states with Great Britain
in the assembly OF the league
Giving to China instead OF
Japan the proyinc" OF Shantmg.
Relief OF the Cmlpl States
from having representatives on
commissions deciding mattrr, in
which has no concern.
Others concern phraseOogy
These amendments and rcserva-.
tions, the majority report says, are
submitted to preserve American in
dependence and American soyeroign,y
and thereby best serve the welfare
OF mankind
Fears that other nations may not
accept an amended covenant, the re-
port dismissed with the statement:
That is one ching that certainly
Will not happen. The other natio"s
Will take us on our own terms. TO"
without Us their league is a wreck
and all their gains from victorious
peace are imperlled
fhat the adoption of amendments
VIII neceSsita'e reaSsembling OF the
peace conference the report denie4.
asserting that the conference prob.
ably VIII be III session tor six months
more in Paris and might as we'll be
at least as usetully emplOyed' as
they now are in dividing ana sharing
southeastern Europe ana Asia Minor
German delegates. the report con.
tends, could easily be brought to Paris
and as Germany is not a member Of
the league she need not be consulted
about changes OF the covenant
At the outset the majority report
deals at length with criticisms OF dc,
lay and points out that whereas tn.
peace conference took six months to
agree on the treaty. the senate for
eien relations committee has had for.
tvsix working days. Demands fur
speed lin the most important subjet;
that ever came before the senate OF
the United States" the report says,
were largely the worN o! the admin.
istratiOn and its newspaper organs "
Recalling the senate's responsibility
az equal with the President s, the rc.
port reconnis the difficulties the for.
eign relations committee experienced
IN getting information on the treaty.
being Obliged to send TO Paris f0r
lCoatinusd on page 3, col. 81