The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-08-24
World League Conference

/ written compact for this republi,
to fulfill lis moral obligations to civ
ilizatiop," 10 which the president re.
joined:
But it steadies the whole world
by its promise beforehand that II
will stand with other nations OF
similar judgment to maintain right
in the world"
Could Not Pass Judgment.
When Senator Brandegee asked
the Presidents opinion of the concrete
case Of the present trouble between
Rumania and Hungary, the president
said he could not answer because that
would involve passing judgment or
foreign political question in a way
he considered inadvisable.
Senator Brandegee also called at
tention that many authorities on in
ternational law had differed as to the
meanings of various provisions of the
treaty and that Charles f. Hughes,
William Howard Taft and Elihu Root
had suggested reservations, but the
president insisted that he thought it
perfectly safe to leave the present
language to the Interpretation of fu-
ture statesmen without fear that the
United States would suffer by their
construction.
When Senator Fall, Republican,
New Mexico, suggested that any
amendments to the league covenant
would not require Germany's assent
as she was not member of the
league. the president replied he never
had thought of that feature He dis
agreed with Senator's Brandegee and
Knox, Republican, Pennsylvania, who
asserted that the treaty would come
into force among all the signatories
as soon as three had ratified it,
Conference Lasts Three Hours.
For more than three hours the
committee members questioned the
president and afterward they stayed
for lunch at the White House When
the recess was taken there had been
no discussion whether the meeting
was to be resumed during the after
noon, but later it was decided not to
do So There was no intimation to-
night whether the committee would
seek a further conference. Tomor-
row it will resume its open hearings
at the capitol.
Senator Fall left with Mr.. Wilson
a list of questions which the latter
said he would reply to at length
later. They concern the powers of
the president or congress to declare
a state of peace, details of the re-
of trade and diplomatic re-
lations with Germany. what dispos-
ton is to be made of the German
colonies and the need for American
on various European
reconstruction commissions.
The presidents declaration of
moral obligation under
the league was emphasized in a state
ment issued jointly tonight by Sena-
tors Borah, Idaho, and Johnson, Cal
ifornia, Republican members of the
committee and two of the btterest
opponents to the treaty in its present
form. They declared the days testi-
mony had borne out their claim that
the league Would lead to interminable
foreign complications They also
pointed out that Senator johnson had
developed in the days meeting that
a good part of the territorial set
element resulting from the war was
yet to be determined.
May Publish Transcript.
The arrangements for publishing
4 transcript of the discussion. which
grew out of a suggestion from the
committee that senator's be not re-
Iuired to keep the proceedings in
confidence, had Mr. Wilson's personal
After the committee
lad departed he went to the White
House basement, where the newspa-
Ter correspondents were waiting for
he last of the stenographic report,
md asked whether everything there
vas going smoothly.
81 came down." he said to the cor
"to inquire of you gen
lemen if the report of the conference
vas handled the way you wanted"
Asks of Other Treaties.
Senator Lodge: Mr.. President
Your reference to the necessity of ac-
ion leads me to ask one question. If
We have to restore peace to the world,
t is necessary, ] assume, that there
nOulu De treaties WlJH AuSITld, nun
,ary, Turkey, and Bulgaria. Those
reaties are all more or less con-
lected with the treaty with Germany.
The question | should like to ask is
What the prospects are of receiving /
hose treaties for action.
The President: think it is very
rood. This treaty is a model of the {
'thers. saw enough of the others
'efore | left Paris to know that they
re being framed upon the same set {
f principles and that the treaty with
Germany is the model. | think that {
5 the chief element Of delay, sir.
Senator Lodge then asked whether
he president could show the commit
ee the tentative League of Nations {
rift submitted by Great Britain, '
rance and Italy.
The President: / would have sent |
hem to the committee with pleas {
re, Senator, il ! had found that !
sd them. took il for granted that |
had them, but the papers that re-
main in my hands remain there in I
aphazard way can tell you the
haracter Of the other drafts. The
british draft, as l remember it, that s
1as in the form Of a definite conSti- {