Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-21
P|TTMAN PLAN IS
NOT ACCEPTABLE
To REPUBLICANS
Of NJ NARY SEVEN
Attempt By Nevada Senator to
Put Policy of President VIII
son Through Upper House
Gets Cold Reception.
B0RAH AND MCCORMICK
EXPRESS STRONG VIEWS
Illinois Editor DenounceS the
Shantung Agreement as VI
oIation of Conscience Of the
American People,
10Y uor !, lo0nnAL ssselAt LsAstp mksl


Washington, Aug. a0-The first
open move for compromise in tho
league of nations fight came from ad-
mnistratton quarters today embraced
In proposal that the senate adopt
interpretative reservations, but that
they he kept apart from the actual
ratification of the treaty.
The overture met with no immedi-
ate success on the republican side of
the chamber, senators of the republi-
can reservation group declaring they
could not recede from their position
that to be effective the reservations
must so into the ratification itself.
Senator Pittman of Nevada. a der1-
ocratic member Of the foreign rela-
Etions committee. presented the COM
promise proposal IN the form of q
resolution embodying in effect the
four reservations agreed on by seven
republican senator's and declaring
them to constitute the senate's UNDER
standing of disputed points In the COW
enant.
Must Be Reservations.
In the republican draft however, it
Is expressly provided that the reser-
vations "be made a part of the treaty
by the instrument Of ratification"
proviso which Senator McNary of
Oregon and others of the group OF
seven republicans said they consider
ed absolutely necessary If enough re-
publican votes are to be gained to OBJ
tain ratification of the treaty.
To overcome this objection, Senator
Pittman proposed in a speech in the
senate that the resolution be adopted
at once and submitted to the other
powers who will be represented on the
league council general debate de-
veloped during which Senator Borahs
republican, Idaho. and others took
exception to President Wilson's dis
tinction between moral and legal obli-
cations under the covenant as ex-
pressed in yesterdays White House
conference between the president and
the foreign relations committee.
Leaders of the McNary group.
nevertheless, insisted they had infor-
nation that in the end their plan
would have democratic support.
Mccormick Denounces Treaty.
An attack on the Shantung provi-
sion OF the treaty was made in the
senate by Senator Mccormick. repub-
ican, Illinois, who asserted that by
accepting the provision the United
States would become party to one
of the most outrageous exhibitions of
hypocrisy and violence in the
worlds history.
The ShantunG provision also was
under consideration before the for
eign relations committee, which WAS
told by DR.. j. c. Ferguson, adviser 10
the Chinese president, that China re-
garded American acceptance of tho
settlement as deviation from the
traditional policy Of American friend
ship to the Chinese government and
people
Questions by Senator Borah turned
the debate to discussion of the
moral and legal obligations assumed
under Article y of the covenant, by
which the members agree to preserve
one another's territorial integrity
against external aggression. The ar
ticle, Mr.. Pittman asserted. had no
legal force because 1t doesn't carry
the essentials of contract"
you couldn't take it into a court
of law" he said, "and find any means
by which 1t could be enforced except
by the conscience of the parties af-
fected."
but when Germany actually in
vaded France" replied Senator Borah,
"it seems to me that under Article \
we would have been obligated to SO
at once to aid France"
".The matter would have been laid
before congress- said Senator Pitt
man, "and congress would have had
to decide whether we would or not.
In my judgment congress would have
decided we should act and it would
have been God-send."
II agree with that, but still con-
gress would have had no real discre-
ton. 1t would have been compelled
to act if it we're going to carry out its
contract returned Mr.. Borah
Pledge Against Conscience.
America by consenting to the guar
antee of territories under the league
of nations will pledge itself against
conscience and Judgment to partici-
pate in the great war which the
treaty of peace promises. Senator Nc
Cormick declared.
The Illinois senator said that Press
ident Wilson had put his name to an
agreement which betrayed an ally and
friend and kept from the Chinese that
(which was his and of which he had
been robbed with an equal hypocrisy
and violence,