The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-08-20

been fulfilled under the dISpul'h WIN
drawal clause Of the league covenant,
| that purely domestic questions wCr"
safe from tho leagues interference: and
| that the Monroe Doctrine was clearly
preserved
Built On SHUTS Plan.
The league, the president cXnlain"d'
was built on the plan Of General StnutS'
of South Africa
Mr.. Wilson revealed that ne had su<-
Gcstcd the United States take no part or
the German rcparaion. but had aSK""
! that the conference rCSrrr" disposition
Of the German Pacific island OF zap on
| a suggestion that il WIS needed for an
| American naval station.
| Some Of the senator's questions the
| president declined to answer on inc
! ground Of international policy. How the
/ American delegates voted on Japan s
! proposal for a racial equality clause IN
! the league cavenant hr said ne could not
disclose in the interest of international
good understanding" and for the same
| reason he said he could not so mo 'he
! negotiations over the French frontier or
Gicc me committee cop yot the RECORD
| Of Japan's ShantUng promises
Early Action Urged.
! Early action on the treaty was urEed
/ in a statement by the president nj tho
outset Of the conference. This was no
/ cessitated. he said. so that peace OASIS
might be reached, and the other tre"ll'S
! under negotiation at Versailles were -
! ing delayed until the world learned what
would happen to the treaty with Ger
many. He said he saw no rcas0naplG
= object ions to senate reservations. but
! thought it unwisc TO incorporate them
! IN the ratification itself.
| In replying to a long series OF qucs-
tions by Senator Br2ndcgcc, Republican.
! Connecticut. the president was led into
an exhaustive discussion Of the CO.
minGling Of moral and legal ALLEGATIONS
! in treaties.
"A moral Obligation" said Mr.. Wilson.
/ lis, fcourse. superior TO legal oSliga-
ton. and. If may say So. has greater
binding force. In every mora. Obligation
there Is an element OF Judgment: IN
legal ALLEGATION there is no element OF
/ Judgment"
Senator Brandegee suggested there
was no important distinction, because
We are obligated in any event"
Il think it is Of the greatest import
ance,- replied the president because
the element of judgment enters into IL.
but j am TcluIiSO -h''
Bandagee, "if the council should advise
US TO do a certain thing. and congress
refuses to do It. and If every other no.
tion's representative assembly can do
the same thing, il seems to me like q
rope Of sand, and not an cffectual trihu-
nal which would result in promoting
peace"
Tho reason do not agree with YOU"
ran1ipd that do not
think such a refusal would likely o-"n
occur. I believe II would be only ur"
the gravest grounds-and in case c" ,
Eress Is right I am indifferent TO fS-
eign criticism"
Senator Harding. Republican. Ohio.
suggested there was no necessity or
written compact for tho republic 10 full
I'll its moral obligations 10 civilization.
TO which the president rcjoin"d:
~But It steadics the whole world by
It's promise beforehand that il will stand
with other nations Of similar Judgment
to maintain right in the world.
Could Not Answer.
When Senator Brandegce asked the
Presidents opinion on tho concrete ca"e
Of tho present trouble between Rumania
and Hungary. the President said II"
could not answer because that would
involve passing judgment on foreign
political question in way he considered
inadyiSable,
Senator Brandegce also called atten-
ton that many authorities on int"rna-
tional law had differed as to the mean
ing OF various provisions of the treaty
and that Charles L. Hughes. william
Howard Taft and Ellhu Root had *uS-
flt tho President
insisted tht he thought it perfectly SAT"
| to leave the present language 70 the m
! terpretation of future statcmen without
fear that tho United Stacs would suffer
BY heir construction
When Senator Fall. Republican. New
| Mexico, suggested that any amendments
TO the league covenant would not re-
quire Gcrmany's assent as she was not
member of the league. the President re-
| Piled he never had thought Of that f"a-
ture. He disagreed with Senators
! Brandegee and Knox. who asserted thH-
the treaty would come into force among
all the signatories as soon as thee had
ratified It
The plan for the Lcagu" finally sub
mittcd in Paris, the President said, had
been built up first from a plan drawn
! by q British committee headed Ivy a Mr..
Pnillimo-e, and later included ideas
| from a plan drawn by General SHUTS.
From these and other discussions.
coupled with the presidents own ideas,
tho league plan was made That is the
| full story Of how the plan l sent to the
committee was drawn up" the president
said.
His own private redraft Of the Philli-
more plan, the president said was not
submitted to the American p"ac" COM
mission. He had seen Secretary Ian
sings proposals only informally.
For the moral asset, he thought II
would give the United States not to
participate in the German indemnity.
the President suggested that not be
done. but he added in reply 70 question:
ing that his idea did not refer to pre-
war claims such as the Sjn&ins Of th>
LuSitania-
Senator Borah questioned tho prcs-
dent at some length about III" right
Of withdrawal from tho league. The
president said his Interpretation was
that tho council had no power Ia pass on
withdrawal OF nation or 10 decide
whether il had fulfilled It's obligations.
The only restraining inclu"r"" w"rild
bn the public opinion of tho world." said
the president.
That. the President said. WAC The Wow
Of the commission which drafted the
League.
Senator Harding wanted to know why
if that was tho view. tn" lHnGTag" max
ing provisOs for tho fIfim"nt &c cove
nants was put into tn" article.
Merely as an argument I" IN" r"neci-
cncc Of tho nations" r"sr"nd"d III"