The Washington times., 1919-09-10

as ,ney now are in dividing and shar-
ing southeastern Europe and Asia
Minor, in handing the Greeks Of
] Thrsce over TO our enemy. Bulgaria
: and in trying to force upon the United
States the control Of Armenia, Ana
tolia- and Constantinople through the
medium OF a large American army.
Still more unimportant is the bug
bear which has been put forward OF
the enormous difficulties which will
! be incurred in securing the adhesion
of Germany. no great amount Of time
need be consumed in bringing German
representatives to Paris. The journey
is within the power Of a moderate
! amount of human endurance, and Il Is
/ also to be remembered that Germany
is not a member of the league and
need not be consulted in regard to the
/ terms OF the covenant. When Ger
many enters the league she will SNke
! It as she finds 1t.
! AmendmentH.
'"The first amendment offered by the
committee relates to the league. Il
( is proposed so to amend the text as
| to secure for the United States a vote
! in the assembly Of the league equal
/ to that Of any other power. Great
1 Britain now has uhder the name of
the British Empire one vote in the
council OF the league. She has four
additional votes in the assembly Of the
| league for her self-governing domin-
! ions and colonies, which are most
properly members of the league and
| signatoFies to the treaty. She also
has the vote of India, which Is neither
self-governing dominion nor a col
ony, but merely a part OF the empire
and which apparently was simply put
! in as q signatory and member OF the
! league by the peace conference be-
cause Great Britain desired It. Great
Britain also will control the votes OF
the Kingdom of Hejaz and of Persia
With these last two, Of course we
have nothing to do. But IL Great
| Britain has six votes in the league
j assembly no reason has occurred to
he committee and no argument had
been made to show why the United
itates should not have an equal num-
ber. II other countries like the pres
ent arrangement that is not our af-
fair, but the committee failed to see
why the United States should. have
but one vote in the assembly Of the
league when the British umpire has
six
ShaAtuAE for, China.
Amendments SO and A, inclusive,
! .rapsfer to China the German lease
and rights. IL they exist. in the Chi
nese Province Of Shantung.. which are
given, by treaty to japan. The ma
| jOrity Of the committee were not will
/ ing to have their votes recorded a.
any stage in the proceedings in favor
| of the contamination Of what they
consider a great wrong. They can not
assent to taking the property Of a
! faithfni ally and handing IL over to
another ally in fuihlIment Of a bar
/ 90 ~ ~ ~ -. 4.
.reaty. It Is a record which they are
not willing to present to their fellow
citizens or leave behind them for the
contemplation Of their children.
Amendment No. is simply to pro-
\ vide that where a memebr OF the
/ league has self-governing domin-
ions and colonies which are also
I members OF the league, the ex-
;lusion Of the disputants under the
league rules shall cover the agEre-
/ gate vote OF the member Of the
league and its seIf-govcrning donin-
ions and parts OF empire combined II
any one OF them is involved in the
controversy.
THE remaining amendments, with
! single exception, may be treated az
one, for the purpose Of all alike is 20
relieve the United States from hay
ing representatives on the connmis-
sions established by the league which
deal with questions in which the Uni
ted States has and can have no in
/ tere5t and in which the United
States has evidently been inserted
by design. The exception Is amend
ment No. Is, which provides that the
United States shall have a member OF
the reparation commission but that
such commissioner Of the United
States cannot, except in the case OF
| shipping where the interests OF the
United States are directly involved,
deal with or vote upon any other
questions before that commission ex-
cept under instructions from the Gov
vernment OF the United States.
Reservations.
The committee proposes four res
eryations to be made a part Of the
sesolution OF ratification when il is
offered. The committee reserves. OF
course, the right to offer other reser-
vations IL they shall so determine.
The four reservations now presented
are as follows:
81. The United States reserves to
itself the unconditional right to with
draw from the League OF Nations
upon the notice provided in article
OF said treaty Of peace with Ger
many
"The provision in the league coven-
ant for withdrawal declares that any
member may withdraw provided IL
has fulfilled all its international OBJ
ligatiens and all its obligations un-
der the covenant. There has been
much dispute as to who would decide
II the question Of the fulfillment OF
obligations was raised, and it is very
generally thought that this question
would be settled by the council Of the |
League of Nations. The best that
can be said about il Is that the ques- !
tion OF decision Is clouded with doubt. !
On such point as this there must be |
no doubt. The United States, which |
has never broken an international OBJ |
legation, cannot permit all its existing |
treaties to be reviewed and it's con- |
duct and honor questioned by other
nations. The same may be said in re-
gard to the fulfillment OF the obliga- !
tions to the league. II must be made |
perfectly clear that the United States !
alone is to determine as to the full |
fillment OF it's obligations. and its |
right, Of withdrawal must therefore |
be unconditional as provided in the |
reservation.
80. The United States declines to /
assume, under the provisions OF |
article 10, or under any other article. !
any obligation TO preserve the terri |
tOrial integrity or political independ- |
ence OF any other country or 10 inter-