Evening star., 1919-09-24

/ IN order to bring this matter, to put
THIS matter in such a shape as will
let me read you what / understand is
a proposed form of reservations:
No Obligation Under Article z.
1.-The United States assumes no OBJ
legation under the provisions of ar
ticle x to preserve the territorial in
tegrity or political independence of
any other country or to interfere in
controversies between other nations,
whether members of the league or not.
or to employ military and naval forces
of the United States under any article
for any purpose unless in any par
ticular case that Congress, which un-
der the Constitution has the sole pow
er to declare war or authorize the
employment of military and naval
forces of the United States shall by
act or joint resolution so ulClare.'
Now, my fellow citizens (applause).
Now. wait a minute. You want to ap-
plaud that. Wait until you understand
the meaning of it. and if you have a
intend to cut out the heart of this
covenant applaud, but If you want this
covenant to have a heart in it and
want it to have purpose in it, want
it to be something subscribed to by
a red-blooded nation, withhold your
applause. Understand this thing be-
fore you form your sentiment with re-
gard to 1t. This is a rejection of the
covenant. This is an absolute refusal
to carry any part of the same re-
sponsibility that the other members
of the league carry. Does the United
States want to be in on that special
footing? CCries of mo, no"') Does the
United States want to say to the ma
tions with whom it stood in this great
struggle: We have seen you through
on the battlefield: but now we are are
intending to stand by you
What Article K Is.
MY fellow citizens. article x is an
fghting nations of the worId-be-
cause all the great fighting nations
are going to be members of the
league-that they will observe. re-
spect and preserve as against exter-
mai aggression the territorial integ-
of the other members of the league.
That is cutting into the heart of all
war. We went into this war with the
sacred promise that we regarded all
nations as having the same rights.
whether they were weak or strong,
weak we have guaranteed that the
strong will prevail; we have guaran-
teed that any imperialistic enter
prise may revive; we have guaranteed
that there is no barrier to the ambi-
tion of nations that have the power
whole position of right and substi-
tuted the principle Of might
This is the heart of the covenant.
And what are these gentlemen afraid
of? Nothing can be done under that
article Of the treaty without the con-
lenge them to draw any other deduc-
ton from the provisions of the cove
nant itself.
Appeals With Confidence.
$50 I appeal. I appeal with con-
fjdence, my fellow countrymen. to
the man whose judgment. I am told.
has a number of reservations. 1 ap-
peal to him to look into the matter
again 1 know some Of the gentle
men who are anxious to have a res
ervation of that sort. know them
to be. high-minded. patriotic Ameri-
cans know them to be men of
mature judgment in that respect, and
1 respect them as much as I respect
into the matter. Are they willing
to ask the rest of the world to go
into this covenant and to let the
United States assume none of its OBJ
legations and let us have all OF the
advantage and none of the RESPONSE
bilities? Are they willing that our
America should ask for special ex-
emption. should seek special priv
ileges, should ask to go into the
arrangement and depend upon no
Judgment but its own judgment. I
confidently believe. my fellow citi-
zens. that they will do no such a
thing. This is not an Interpretation
of the covenant. I have been trying
to interpret it to you. That is
rejection of the covenant, and II that
the ground. My fellow citizens. We
must realize that a great and final
choice is upon the people. Either
we are going to guarantee cfviliza-
tion or we are going to abandon 1T.
If 1 may say so without even by
men whom I entirely respect. want
to say that the only popular clamor
back of the impulse to reject any
part Of this treaty proceeds from
exactly the same source that the pro-
Gerraan proceeded from.
Asked to Reflect.
"I ask the honorable and enlight-
ened men who ] believe thoughtless-
| ly favor reservations such as I have
read to reflect upon that, to examine
! into the truth Of it and to reflect
upon this proposition that by holding
off from this league they serve the
purposes of Germany.
! 'T exculpate the men I am thinking
! of entirely from the purpose of doing
| it. 1t would be unworthy OF me to
suggest such purpose: But l do
suggest, ] do state with confidence
that that is the only end that would
| be gained; because Germany is iso-
lated from the other nations.
IF we keep out of this league now
we can never enter 1t. except along
side Germany. We can either go in
now or come in later with our recent
enemy. And to adopt a reservation
such as I have referred to and ex-
plicitly renounce responsibility under
the central engagement Of the cove
lnant is to do nothing less than that"