New-York tribune., 1919-10-24

Has Senator Hitchcock Joined the
ranks Of those who would "cut out
the heart of the covenant? He
offered in the Senate Foreign Rela-
tlons Committee this substitute for
Reservation g:
"The United States understands
that the advice which may be given
by the council Of the league with re-
gard to the employment of military
and naval forces by member nations
under Article X is to be regarded
only as advice, and leaves each mem
Der nation free to exercise it's own
Judgment as to whether it is wise or
practicable 10 act upon that advice,
and that the Congress must deter
mine for the United States its
course"
This substitute. though clumsy.
plainly leaves Congress the sole
Judge in each specific instance of
the legal and moral obligations i'm
posed on the United States by Ar
tlcle X. Thus it wears the ASPECT
OF a complete Observation-Disclosures
denies the theory that the councils
recommendations can be automati-
cally binding on the United States.
even if our representative in the
council concurs in them.
What essential difference is there
between Mr.. Hitchcock form of res
ervation and that approved on
Wednesday by the Foreign Relations
Committee? The latter reads:
The United States assumes no OBJ
legation to preserve the territorial
integrity or political independence
of any other country, or TO Interfere
III controversies between nations,
whether members of the league or
not, under the provisions of Ar
ticle |, or to employ the military or
naval forces of the United States
under any article of the treaty for
any purpose unless in any particular
case the Congress-, which under the
constitution has the sole power to
declare war or authorize the en-
ployment of military or naval forces
OF the United States, shall by act or
JOINT resolution so provide"
This merely states in a negative
way what Mr. Hitchcock's draft
states in a positive way. Yet when
1T was telegraphed to President Will
son at Salt Lake City month ago
ne read 1T aloud and denounced it as
cutting out the heart of the cove
nant." Mr. Hitchcock himself has
recently echoed that opinion.
What is the objection to Rescrva-
ton 2? The Times says that it
doesn't "leave the government free
to unite with other nations in en-
pioylng economic pressure or other
non-mllltary means to prevent war"
But neither Reservation 2 nor Mr..
Hltchcock's substitute deals with the
question of economic pressure. Mr..
McCumber's substitute for Rescrva-
ton 2 did deal with that question.
But the American attitude toward
the economic boycott is now defined
separately in Reservation 12. So
far as the employment of our mill
tary and naval forces is concerned.
the only technical difference between
the committees declaration and Mr..
Hitchcock's is that the former pro-
vides that those forces shall not be
used either to preserve the terri
torial integrity and political inde
pendence Of other member states,
under Article X, or to cocrce cove
nant breaking members, under Ar
ticle XVI, except on specific
authorization Of Congress.
In his conference on August 10
with the members Of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee Presi-
dent Wilson definitely assentcd to
the theory that Congress is entitled
TO exercise complete freedom of