New Britain herald., 1919-02-27
WILSON EXPLAINS
LEAGUE TO MEMBERS
'Ot Foreign Relations Committee
Their Opinions Unchanged


sional foreign relations committees
who oppose the proposed constitution
of the League of Nations apparently
were unchanged after a long dinner
conference last evening with President
Wilson at the White House. This
opinion was expressed by both demo-
cratic and republican senator's
Discussion of the constitution as
presented to the Peace Conference
was said to have been general and
the President was questioned closely,
especially by Senator Brandegee of
Conn ecticut. Republican Leader
Lodge and Senator Knox of Pennsyl-
vania, former secretary of state, took
very little part.
The President, after making an
opening explanatory statement, an
swered ain questions freely and speci-
fically emphasized that his guests
, were free to discuss the conference
and all it's information with news
paper men or others.
If League Fails.
President Wilson told members Of
the congressional foreign relations
committees last night that unless the
United States entered the League OF
Nations. the league would fail and
chaos and turmoil beyond description
would result in Europe. Views OF
republican members opposing the
league constitution as reported to the
peace conference apparently were not
changed by the conference.
Brandegee's Point.
One question on which much time
was spent was whether a. nation once
in the league could withdraw, raised
by Senator Brandegee. The President
was said to have held that any coun-
try could withdraw, but Senator Bran
degee contended this would be impos-
sihle under the constitution as now
drafted.
President Wilson denied that the
league plan would interfere with the
Monroe Doctrine, declaring that the
doctrine would be guaranteed by all
-the member powers in the world So
ciety. The President was said to have
held that the manufactures in the con-
,stitution were not compulsory but re
duired the consent of the nations to
which the mandatory was ASST gned.
Senators said he expressed the opinion
that the United States would desire to
become a mandatory for Armenia"
On the question of American SOW
ereignty, the President was said to
have taken the position that recession
of American sovereignty was not
new preceden,, being an incident of
every treaty.
Section Nfisconstrued.
Chairman Hitchcock of the senate
committee said the president held
that decisions of the leagues execu~
tive council Of disarmament would
not be binding until specifically ap-
proved by each signatory nation, and
that consequently the American Con-
gress would have the opportunity to
pass on the apportionment of arma-
rnent for every nation concerned. The
president said this section had been
rnisconstrued.
Concerning the clause giving the
right to the league to consider acts
? threatening world peace, President
Wilson said that the clause was in
definite and would be made more clear
by writing in a safeguard which
would require that every recon-
naAndation by the council should be
unanimous
It was also said that the president
Informed the senators and represen-
tatives that the disarmament pro-
vision would not interfere with the
military training Of men, but that 1t
was evident that trained body OF
men would not he a danger to world
peace If their armament supplies were
kept in check.
Mr.. Wilson said the provision for
enforcing the determination of the
council in case it was disobeyed by
any nation would apply in only one
case. and that where the party against
whom a decision was rendered had
property, including territory in it's
possession which it would not sur
render.
Must Give Up Something.
! In conCeding that some sovereign
~ must be surrendered by member
ship in tho league, the president de
clared IT. was inconceivab1e that there
could he any concert Of action by ma
lions to eliminate war and protect
the weak unless each nation was will
ing to give up something, Denying
that the lea que meant usurpation OF
the powers of congress to declare war
/, the president said the league merely