The sun., 1919-06-20
WILSON'S EXCUSE Is
RIDDLED IN HOUSE
Temple Shows Washington
Six Times Set Treaty Prece-
dent President Denies.
JEFFERSON ADVISED 1T
-Four Other Presidents Sub
mitted Unfinished Treaties
to Upper House.
seec.o, Despatch to TEE sus.

WASHINGTON, June 1.-THE mad
equacy Of President Wilson's excuse In
declining 70 submit the peace treaty to
the Senate in unfinished form. that ne
codad md mo precedent for such pro-
cedure," was strihdngly illustrated In the
House BY Representative Temple (Pa.)'
member of the Foreign Affairs Commit
tee, to-day.
The Pennsylvania member, one OF the
recognised authorities in the House on
International affairs quoted from An
authority widely known to students OF
history TO show that President WASH
ington on six different occasions con-
suited the Senate by formal message on
unfinished treaties. and that Presidents
Polk, Lincoln, johnson and Grant each
on at least one occasion submitted un-
| finished drafts Of treaties under nego-
| tiation to the Senate for advice and sug-
eestion before completing the negoda-
lions.
Quotes JefIersOn's Advice.
He further quoted from the papers OF
President washingtons Secretary OF
State, Thomas Jefferson. to prove that
| the patron SAINT Of the Democratic party
| advised the frst President that 1t was
advisable, whenever possible. to consult
the Senate before the opening OF nego-
| tiations since It's subsequent epprooa-
| ton was necessary to validate q treaty.
That one very remarkable and I'M
portant change" in the League OF Ma
| tions covenant now under discussion
from that read to the peace delegates IN
| Paris last spring was not pointed out
| in the official summary Of the new COW
enant and was disclosed only through
| the recent publication Of that document
contrary to the Presidents desires was
pointed out by DR.. Temple at the Close
of his remarks.
| This II found by comparison OF Ar
| ticle III Of the original draft with the
| corresponding Article ~. OF the ne"
draft Article I'LL contains the follow
ing provisions:
"The council shall consist OF repre-
sentatives Of the United States OF Amer
i lea. of the British Empire, OF France.
of Italy and of Japan, together with
representatives Of four other members
O; the league"
Article ~, the corresponding pro-
vision In tho new covenant contains
this language:
The council shall consist OF repre-
sentatives OF the principal allied and
| associated Powers, together with rep
lresentatiyes of four other members Of
the league"
IT have not found" said DR.. Temple.
| anywhere in the treaty a definition OF
the phrase the principal allied and as
ISOLATED Powers though that phrase Is
used again in Article 440. which pro-
vides that the whole treaty Uncluding
OF course the League of Nations sec
| hon
by Germany and three of the principal
allied and associated Powers.
Originally there were to be nine
members OF the council now the num-
Der is not determined. Formerly Ave
great Powers were named In the treaty
and four smaller ones. There may per-
haps be more than five Powers claiming
permanent membership on the council for
IL the phrase Is not defined who knows
how many nations may claim to be Of
the principal allied and associated Pow
ers?'"
| Thinks Wilson Misguided.
Commenting on the letter of the Act
ing Secretary Of State transmitting to
the Senate the message from the Presi-
dent in which the latter declined to
now under consideration. DR.. Temple
said:
ut is true that only In exceptional
instances has the President OF the
United States communicated officially to
the Senate the text of a treaty which
was only provisional and not definite,
yet in view OF the many instances in
which this procedure has been followed
1t may be considered possible that the
Acting Secretary Of State has mlsun-
derstood the President and has erred in
attributing to him the statement tina I
he (the President) finds no precedent
for such procedure"
Quoting from Treaties. Their Making
and Enforcement" by Samuel B. Gran
that subject" DR.. Temple listed the fol-
lowing instances in refutation of the
Presidents excuse:
June 10, 1885. President Polk sub
mitted to the Senate for it's advice the
incomplete treaty with Great Britain
on the Oregon boundary. 1t was for
n.ally approved by the Senate, COM
pleted by the President. approved in It's
final form by the Senate and ratified all
within nine days
December II, 1851, President Lin
coin submitted to the Senate for its nd
vice preliminary draft OF a treaty with
Mexico.
February 10. 1858. President johnson
sent to the Senate for its advice an nm
signed and unfinished treaty with the
Dominican Republic.
June IS. 1874. President Grant sub
mitted TO the Senate for advice a pro-
posed Canadian reciprocity treaty with
Great Britain. which the Senate, after
long elaboration, advised against.
Senate eueried in Al&iers Pact.
After enumerating several instances
In which President Washington con-
suited the Senate by formal mes
rage on the subject of proposed treaties
with Indian tribes. DR.. Temple contin-
ued:
I'm a message TO the Senate Of Febru-
airy 3. 1890. President Washington men.
toned the difference between the Tinted
States and Great Britain as 10 tha
northwestern boundary. and said that
he considered It advisable TO postpone
any negotiations on the subject until he
had received the advice of the Senate
as to the proposition to he offered on
tho part of the United States
"On May 8, 1892. President WASHING.
ton inquired OF the Senate whether I,
would approve treaty with Alsiars
for the payment of ransom and peacs
money II such a treaty should he con.
cluded. This action OF the Presiden,
was In accordance with a written corn.
munication from Thomas Jefferson Sac-
rotary OF State, dated April 1. I7ea In
| which ne told the Fraudulent that a. -