The sun., 1919-09-13

the President READ the drhft OF tne ieaBue
In open session first have a memoir
endum for Col. House to the effect that
on February the provision was still In,
that representation should be by the
Ambassadors or Ministers of the high
contracting Powers. and Col. Hosase had
| asked me to propose an amendment TO
| this article, and 60 sent In this memoir
andum (reading) "Omit the words the
Ambassadors or Ministers Of the high
contracting parties at - are -"
| This clause then would read: Meet
| ings Of the body Of delegates shall be
4, held at the seat of the league or at such
other place as may be found convenient,
and shall consist OF representatives
| specially appointed for this purpose"
Senator Knox-Up TO that time all OF
the project had contemplated the differ
ent countries being represented by their
diplomatic agents7
Mr.. Bullitt: The President had insisted
on II repeatedly. The British had been
very much opposed TO II, and found
| that the feeling against this was very
great and had called attention to this
| 10 Col. House. Thes idea was to have
representation from the various coun.
| tries to represent the native. political
parties in the States which made up
| the league, in order that there might
| be n popular representation--repres
tation of the congresses of the nations
In the league. don't know the posi-
tons of Clemenceau and Lloyd George
| but Col. House. Lord Robert Cecil and
Gen. SHUTS were In favor OF 1t. They
| were the members OF the commission
from England and the United States.
| Senator Knox: The President seems
| to have lost out then on the proposition
that the countries should be represented
| in the League OF Nations by their dirio-
matio officersH What do you regard as
the Presidents greatest contribution to
| this covenant7
| Mr.. Built: So far as I know in the
final form of the league the only pro-
posal of the President was remained
more or less intact is Article X.
Proposal From Soviet.
| Mr.. Bullitt was ordered to Russia on
February Is by Secretary Lansing 10
study and report on conditions. Before
that w. II. Buckler, attached to the
American Embassy In London, had been
sent to Stockholm and conferred with
Iityinoff. The latter had been Soviet
Ambassador in London, and he sub
mitted proposals. which, being communi-
GATED TO the President. he considered so
Important that he read them to the
| Council OF Ten. The Buckler reports de-
Il
| Prinkipo conference, which previously
had been flvored by Lloyd George.
The text of the projected peace pro-
| posal obtained by Mr.. Built from the
Soviet Government also was put In the
Record
The terms were very close to
agreement with those which the Brit
| Ish Government had suggested before
Mr.. Bullitt left for Petrograd. II was
| No., N m
terms, which was sent to Mr.. Builitt by
Phillip Kerr, secretary to Premier Liyod
George, just before r. BuDitts depa-
| ture for Petrograd.
In substance Mr.. Kerr's suggestion
was that hostilities should cease at
once de facto Governments remain in
control of occupied territories; railways
and ports to be open; allied subjects
TO have free passage TO and from Rus
STA general political amnesty on both
sides complete restoration of trade re-
Iations between Russia and the outside
| world questions connected with Russia 3
debt to be considered independently
after peace; allied troops to be with
drawn from Russia as Russian armies
are demobilized and their arms sur
rendered or destroyed.
Mr. Bullitt next took up the proposal
which he submitted to Col. House that
| tne american troops WIN
drawn from Archangel. This was pro-
posed in a memorandum which he de-
livered to the Colonel January 80, 1t
also was put into the Record.
Lansing's Treaty Objections.
Returning to the treaty Mr.. Lodge
said ibid any member OF our delega-
ton express to you any opinions about
the general character of this treaty."
Mr.. Lansing. Col. House. Gen. Bliss
and Mr.. White had all expressed 10 me
very vigorously their opinions on the
subject"
Were they enthusiastically in favor
of IT,"
81 regret to say not It is no secret
that Mr.. Lansing and Gen Bliss and
Mr. Henry White objected very vigor-
ously to the numerous provisions of
1.-The treaty. ] do not think Secretary
Lansing is at all enthusiastic about the
League OF Nations as it stands at pres
ent have note OF conversation
with him on May 10.
The Secretary sent for me. II was
a long conversation and Mr.. Lansing in
the course Of 1t said that he personally
would have strengthened greatly the
judicial clauses OF the League OF Ma
lions covenant, making arbitration COM
lpulsory. He also said that he was
| huSOtutcly Oppodcu 10 oHlhSu states
taking a mandate in either Armenia or
lConstantinople. That he thought that
lConstantinople should be placed under a
local government the chief members of
(which were appointed by an international
committee Mr.. Lansing then said that
he too considered many parts OF the
treaty thoroughly bad, particularly those
dealing with Shantung and the League
of Nations. He said,
| al consider the League OF Nations. at
present is entirely useless. The great
ranged the world to suit themselves.
England and France in particular have
got out OF the treaty everything that
they wanted, and the League OF Nations
can do nothing to alter any OF the I'M
Just clauses of the treaty except by
unanimous consent OF the members OF
the league, and the great Powers will
never give their consent to changes in
the interests OF weaker peoples"
| Prediction of Its Defeat.
I'VE then talked about the possibility
OF ratification by the Senate. Mr..
Lansing said: 4 believe that II the
Senate could only understand what this
treaty means and II the American peo-
pie could really understand it would
unquestionably be defeated. but
wonder II they will ever understand
what 1t let's them In for He expressed
the opinion that Mr.. Knox would prob
ably really understand the treaty and