The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-03
Covenant Hardly Compa-
rable to That Brought
Home by President.
VOTE. LIKELY TONIGHT
Roots Suggestions COnsid-
cred and Some May Be In
cluded in Pact.
----------- ,
CHANGES STILL DEBATED
Wilson May Give Up His Fight
for Reservation Regarding !
Monroe Doctrine. z
CHANGES STILL DEBATED
BY LAURENCE HILLS.
StoS Correspondent o. The SuN.

PARIS, April 1.-The legal commit.
tee. headed by Lord Robert Cecil.
which has been putting the final pol
ish on The new covenant of ths
League of Nations, has made so many
changes. in some places rewriting
whole paragraphs. that with those
previously made the docnment hardly
will be recognizable as the one which
President Wilson took 10 the United
States.
1t is expected that the document
will be ready tomorrow night for
submission TO the committee on the
league, when an effort will be made
20 bring about an agreement. IL
would not surprise any one il the
President abandoned the attempt tn
insert specific mention of the Mon.
roe Doctrine in the new covenant as
he is inclined to accept the opinions
of his experts that the changes made
protect the doctrine, making such
specific mention unnecessary. and the
American Senate would be unable to
reject the covenant OH this point
alone, with almost all the other Re
publican objections met.
The six specific changes suggested
by Elihu Root we're sent here by cable
last week before they were published
| in the United States, but arrived
after the covenant had been referred
10 the drafting committee. These
suggestions, however, have been con-
sidered carefully BY the President,
who feels that they must be met in
one way or another. They were re-
fcrred promptly to the legal commit
tee, which has prepared a new clause
seeking to meet Mr.. Roots first point
in regard to arbitration.
The committee has rewritten Ar
ticle XIll., and without going so far
rs to draw up binding list of jus
ticiable questions it has undertaken
TO give examples of such problems.
AS drawn the article lacks the
strength that Mr. Root would give 1t.
His suggestion provided virtually for
compulsory arbitration. This has
caused some surprise here. 1t is ex-
planned, however, that the President
was for compulsory arbitration, but
it was impossible to obtain 1t.
Monroe Doctrine Clause.
Mr.. Roots second point is covered,
II is considered. by the provision that
the delegates shall have the right to
bring up treaties and other interns-
tional questions from time 10 time.
Most surprise was caused by the fact
that in his third point Mr.. Root ap.
parently sees objection to the inclu.
sion of the Monroe Doctrine specif-
ically, preferrinG reservation above
the signature, like the second Hague
reservation that the United States
made.
To this suggestion the President oh.
viously IS opposed, the document be.
ing largely of his own making, and
he will have the American delegates
sign it without reservation of any
kind. II is considered here that the
new covenant absolutely settles the
immigration question by stating that
nothing in the covenant shall be con-
strued against the right Of each ma.
ton to settle its damestic problems.
Views on Article y.
The Crux of the whole covenant is
Article Y, and it is maintained here
that Mr.. Root, whose opinion is re-
Garded in Europe As the most impor-
tant that has been offered from out.
side sources, has failed TO give proper
weight 10 the words external aggres.
sion" This article, It is asserted.
i does not maintain the status quo ex.
Cept as regards external uggressionk
there is nothing 10 prevent changes
/ from time TO time by the league on
complaint of any State.
In his fifth point Mr.. Root is held
to support the amendment by Leon
I Burgeoisc 10 which The President is
opposed the explanation being made
that II would eliminate the element or
! goSl faith from the coyenant and
would I've resented by America. A
new change made Is considered by