The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1919-08-08
AUGUST 8, 1919.
PRESIDENT FRAMES TRAP

HIS secret negotiations, mas proposed
compromise to the Republican SEN
atOrs. Still relying on a phrase rather
than a principle, using a clever
diplomatic formula rather than clear
plan, he suggests that the senate
ratify the treaty with "interpretatiye
reservations"
Inasmuch as it has been frequently
suggested that the democrats agree
to the republican changes be-
cause these changes embodied
phrases similar to that devised by the
President, it is essential to distin-
guish between this suggestion and his.
"Thcse reservations, . it was said, 'e1n-
body just those assurances which the
democrats have been giving us as
their interpretations of the League of
Nations covenant"
The friends of the President have
right to interpret his formula Gin
terpretative reservations and they
show that he wants simply interpre-
tatIon and not reservation.
If the senate intends to give the
treaty a specific meaning as it's in
depreciation it must make reserva-
tons which shall become a part of
the treaty. The democrats have said
already that the republican reserva-
lions are nothing more than demo-
cratic interpretations. If so, there
should be no objection to making the
republican definitions a part of the
treaty.
When Great Britain made a reser
walton that she must have the big
gest navy, no matter what measure
of disarmament were ordered by the
League Of Nations, it was something
more than a mere Interpretation. The
United States Senate, if it wishes to
give an Interpretation of the treaty
which shall be binding, must embody
its reservations in the treaty. AS we
said last week.
in the treaty the Interpretation to
which the democrats adhere and to
which, supposedly, all advocates OF
the league, here and abroad, adhere"
If the democrats are sincere they
will vote to make the reservations
a part Of the treaty, for in that way
they will show the courage Of their
conviction that the reservations do
not really change or modify the
treaty but simply eXpound its mean
ing.
We suspect that the difficulty lies
in the fact that the democrats do not
really believe in their own interpre-
tations. They say the treaty means
certain things, but they are unwilling
to put the definitions in the treaty
because they are far from sure that
the covenant means what they say it
does. To obtain ratification they are
willing to use whatever alluring Ian
guage is necessary to persuade their
antagonists.
The President himself has seemed
to give an alarming Interpretation
Of the treaty.
Not long before the President left
for Europe he said: Especial alli-
ances have been the prolific cause in
the modern world of the plans and
passions that produce war" And
yet he proposes special treaty of
alliance for the United States, Great
Britain and France, a treaty that
locks forward to war; which binds
the United States to wage war in a
certain specific circumstances
attack by Germany on France.
If that special alliance be not an
Interpretation of the spirit and pur-
pose of the League of Nations, what
is it?
On the occasion to which we al
Jude the President also said: "There
can be no alliance within the general
League of Nations" Arrived in Eng
land he said "The United States will
enter into no special arrangements
or understandings with particular ma
tons"
In these words the President was
repudiating the old European system
of balance of power, and he employed
these words because Premier Clemen-
ceau had frankly expressed a pref
erence for the European system. Gle
menceau declared for special alliance
and won. President Wilson COM
promised
The point we make is this: The
proposal for special alliance shows