Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-08-20
Wide Open Conference

Meeting the COMMITTEES in a roun s.
table discussion in the East Room of
, the White House, IN contradiction TO
the presidents of more than q CEN
fury and with the whole nation lis
tenlng through the medium of a re-
lay of public stenographers. the Pres
ident went into many of the details
Of the peace negotiations and touched
on all the holly debated questions
which have divided the Senate in its
consideration of the Peace treaty.
Article x of the covenant guar
anteeing the integrity of league
members against aggression he de-
clared would leave to each nation
complete freedom of choice as to
the application of force Even il
the American representative on the
Council Joined IN a unanimous re-
roSnmendatlon for military action,
the final decision for peace or war
must rest so far as concerned the
United States. with Congress he
said.
Whatever advice the Council gave
under its authority to take such
action as is deemed appropriate"
must also be deemed appropriate
by the United States 70 be binding
on this government he argued.
! though in the background would be
such a potential neral force that he
doubted if the nation would often
decline to act.
t The president revealed that
Japan's prpemise to return Shan
tung province to China was reduced
to written form in the minutes of
the Peace conference. He asserted
that he had every confidence" that
the promise would be carried out
and told the senators il was the
best that could be got out of the
negotiations. Japan having given
notice that she would withdraw
from the conference il her demands
were refused. The American dele
gates, he said. had tried to keep the
nation free from obligatipns in
European affairs $50 far as it was
1onorabIy possible to do So but he
dSSNfAC4 N2A0A II UC ucrNCHeskAA v
to keep American troops on the
Rhine under the treaty for the next
fifteen years.
He declared that the nation
would be its own sole Judge whefil-
er it's obligations had been fulfilled
under the disputed withdrawal
clause of the league covenant. that
purely domestic questions were safe
from the leagues interference; and
that the Monroe Doctrine was
clearly preserved.
The league. the president explain
ed. was built ON the plan of General
SHUTS of South Africa
MI. Wilson revealed that he had sug'
gesfed that the United States take No
part Of the German repatriation but nao
asked that the cnnferencetre reserved dis-
position of the German Pacanc inu ~
Van ON ft,e zuExcstfun that n was nozs1-
s,s for an American NAVAL stAon-
-. - ~. sesln1crs questions the
r---ss.., ,z.rair,ed 20 answer ON me
- y, iufernafional policy. How
- ar,~rscsn Delegates voted IN
/ T.-.-,. urcpgsal for racial equality
s.s,,-. IN the Ieagne covenant. he said
- ruuId moi Disclose .-in the interest
~ f1.e International understanding /" and
fur similar reasons he said he could not
40 irtp the negotiations over the Frenca
frontier, or give committee q history or
q record OF Japzn's snantung promisss
or DISCUSS tina trouble betwesn Ruma-
ma and Hungary.
Early action ON tina treaty was urged
in statement BY the President III the
outset Of the conference. Tins was
CONTINUES On Pays 4--csi.