Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-19
Treaty Reservation Compromises.

~ reservations bcconlP hccGSHatS "
secure ratification of the peace treaty
by twu-thir1s Of the Senate, or to gain
assen. to the reservations by the four
great allied nations, these changes, If
they involve the sacrifice of no vital
American principle or safeguard,
ought to be made. Neither reserva-
tionists nor anti-reservationists should
be so stubbornly uneompromising az
to kill the treaty.
a. For example, ii it should be
found that tacit, but not formal, writ
ten assent - our reservations could
ne secured from the four allies, the
preamble would wisely be modified in
this respect.
CO II other reservations make MEM
bership in the league reasonably safe
and sane, it will not be necessary or
defcnsble to facilitate quick and easy
withdrawal from the league by giving
the power to withdraw TO the House
and Senate merely by their concur
rent resolution, dispensing with the
Presidents approval. Wisdom or ex-
pedicncy may suggest that the powers
of til. executive acting alone in such
case should be restricted, but it does
not follow that this power should he
transferred to the House and Senate
alone. entirely eliminating the execu-
tive The letter and spirit of the Con-
stitutiop and American principles, an
alogies and precedents suggest that this
power should be exercised by the war
declaring branch of the government
'Congress-of which the executive, with
his veto power, is an integral part.
The House and Senate acting through
concurrent resolution, effacing the
President and his veto, do not con
Stitute Congress.
~ In essence the reservation con-
tcerning Shantung refuses to construe
the treaty provision of unconditional
transfer Of these concessions to Japan
as destroying Japan's promise to make
restoration to China, or as relieving
japan from the obligation to make
perfectly clear what it promises, to
make this promise of binding record
and TO fulfill it promptly. Whatever
wording of the reservation will ac.
eomplish this end effectively with a
minimum of reasonable offense to
Japan should be adopted. Since japan
comedies and reaff;rms its promise and
is offended only at dclbts slurring its
sincerity in promising, no offense
should be taken by Japan at reser-
vation that makes its sincere promise
an integral part of treaty provision,
which without such reservation slurs
its promise as nonresident or worth.
less.
az A hot fight will evidently be
waged over section y of the covenant
and its reservation. Assuming that
we ought not to guarantee the terri
torial integrity and political indie
pendence of every nation in 4 world
league against external aggression
ought we not thus to guarantee some
nations? Ought we not to guarantee
the territorial integrity of the new
France of the Paris treaty, including
Alsace and Lorraine, against unpro
voked attack by Germanyf Ought We
mot also to guarantee against unpro
yoked German attack the territoria
integrity and the political independ
ence of the new nations, largely
carved from Germany and Austria. t.
which the peace treaty gives birth
We have participated in creating them
We should continue to participate II
protecting them. In doing this WI
shall not be making new war. bu
shall be carrying to its logical enc
the war declared by Congress agains
Germany.
We must do whatever is essential Il
carry out and to compel Germany ant
Austria to carry out the peace treaty
as construed by our reservations. w
fight war and prevent war "a by dis
ablement of the vanquished would b,
world -conquerors in the war now end
ing; (2) by reciprocal self denyin1
pledges against future wars of aggres
sion and world conquest, which viii
tend to restrain the great powers from
expressing or dismembering weake
nations; and (3) by creating unde
the new international law which dc
velops from the world-war a judicia
Tribunal, with the world enforcing it
decisions, to determine the issue
which cause war, thus substituting ar
bitration for war.
Boundary questions and other dis
rutes over territory are a fruitful
cause Of war. Such questions woul,
naturally go TO an international equi
table tribunal for settlement.
Does not section \ as it is worded ten,
TO decide such questions in advanc
not in accordance with any study O
the equities, but in favor of the part,
n possession If all the members o
che league guarantee the territoria
antegrity of oil its members. the ter
Titorial boundaries as they now e1is