The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-19


ing statement on the peace treaty and
the league OF nations. He said: f
Mr.. Chairman: en- sincerely glad that
the committee should have responded in
this way to my intimation that l would
like to be OF service TO 1t. 1 welcome the
opportunity for a frank and full inter-
Il hope. too, that this conference Will
serve to expedite your consideratien. Of
fhs treaty d Of me Pc ypS
practically the whole task Of bringing the
country back to normal conditions OF life
and industry waits upon the decision Of
the senate with regard to the terms Of
p' Il venture thus again to urge my. ad-
gard to the treaty be taken at the earliest
practicable moment because the problems
adjnstment Of our national life are Of the
most pressing and critical character, will
require for their proper solution the most
all p1rties and all interests. and cannot
be postponed without manifest peril to our
We hold most dear. May mention a few
of the matters which cannot be handled
With INTELLIGENCE until the country knows
do so only by very few samples. - :
War when There Is No War.
1.-THE copper mines of Montana. and
Alaska, for example. are being kept open
and in operation only at a great cost and
loss, in part upon borrowed money; the
zinc mines Of Missouri, Tennessee and
capacity; the lead Of Idaho, illinois and
Missouri reaches only a portion of its
former market; there is an immediate need
for bottom betting, and also for lubricattng
oil, which cannot be met-all because the
channels of trade are barred by war when
there is no war; The same is true OF
alone formerly purchased nearly four mill
Hon bales. And these are only examples
single important foodstuff. or a single
class of manufactured goods which is not
in the same case. Our full. normal, profit
able production waits on peace. p
"Our military plans, OF course, wait upon
It, We cannot intelligently or wisely de-
eide how large naval or miit nl. t ,Et,s
regard to military training is to-be until
we have peace not only, but also until we
whether by the arms of single nations~er
by. the concert of all the great peoples.
And there is more than that difficulty In
volved. The vast surplus properties Of the
army include not food and clothing merely,
whose sale will affect normal production
uses. great stores of machine tools. and
all sorts OF merchandise which must lie
definitely determined. BY the same token
there can be no properly studied nationaI
budget until then. 49,
VIII Get Jump on Z. s.
1.-THE nations that ratify the treaty, such
as Great Britain, Belgium. France, VIII
be in a position to lay their plans Tor
controlling the markets OF central europe,
without any competition from us IL we do
not presently act. We have no consular
agents, no trade representatives there, to
look after our interests.
There are large areas of Europe whose
future will lie uncertain and questionAoic
until their people know the final settle
mcnts Of peace and the forces which, are
to administer and sustain Ii. Without tde-
terminate markets our production cannot
proceed with intelligence or confidence
There can be no sterilization of wages
because there can be no settled conditions
of employment. There be no easy nor
normal industrial credits. because there
can be no confident or permanent revival
worse, Than War Itself i,
4 "But 1 will not weary you With obvious
examples 5 s,ew w US on o rei Ife AMONGST
US depends upon and awaits the ratifica-
ton of the treaty OF peace; and, also that
day by not doing all that we can to miti-
gate the winters suffering, which. unless,
we find means to prevent 1t, may praye
disastrous TO large portion OF the word,
and may. at the worst, bring upon Europe
conditions even more terrible than those
wrought by the war itself.
Nothing. 1 am led to believe. stands in
the way OF the ratification Of the treaty
except certain doubts with regard TO the
meaning and implication OF certain articles
of tie covenant of the League of Nations;
and l must frankly say that am unable
to understand why such doubts should be
entertained. You will recall that when
had the pleasure of a conference with your
committee and with the committee of the
house Of representatives on foreign affairs
st the White House In March last, the ques-
tons now most frequently asked about the
League of Nations were all canyassed with
view to their immediate Qualification
The covenant of the league was then in its
draft subject to revision.
U. 3. Won All Points.
at was pointed out hatnoexpress recog-
milton was given to the Monroe doctrine,
that it was not specifically decided that
the league should have no authority to act
or to. express Judgment ON matters Of do
nestle policy, that the right to withdraw
from the league was not expressly recog-
nized and that the constitutional right of
I pesc eO ana war was not snffieientiy Safe
guarded. On my return to Paris all these
matters were taken up again by the com;
every suggestion Of the United States was
accented.
gard to the questions j have mentioned
| had In fact, already been accepted by the
commission and there was supposed to be
nothing inconsistent with them in the draft
| of the covenant first adopted-the draft
| which was the subject OF our discussion
| saying explicitly In the text what all had
| supposed TO be implicit in II. There was
| absolutely no doubt as to the meaning Of
covenant in the minds Of those who parti.
| cipated in drafting them and / respectfully
submit that there Is nothing vague or
! doubtful IN their wording.
| Monroe Doctrine Is Guarded
| "The Monroe doctrine is expressly, men
| toned as an understanding which is in no
way to be impaired or interfered with by
any thing contained in the covenant and
! the expression regional understandings
/ like the Monroe doctrine was used. not
! because any one of the conferees thought
| there was any comparable agreement any
| where else in its existence or in coHtem-
plation, but only because 1t was thought
! best to avoid the appearance of dealing
| in such a document with the policy of a
| single nation. Absolutely nothing is con-
ceaied in the phrase.
| with regard to domestic questions, Ar
| ticIe XVI Of the covenant expressly pro-
! vides that. II in case Of any dispute arts
1 ing between members Of the league, the
matter involved is claimed by one Of the
parties and is found by the council to
| arise out of a matter which by interna-
tfonal law Is solely within the domestic iuris-
diction OF that party, the council shall so
/ report and shall make no recommendation
as to its settlement The United States was
! by no means the only government interest
| ed In the exnlicit adoption of this provi sion