The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-07-29
LEAGUE RESERVATION
IN SPECIFIC TER MS
BY CHAS. f. HUGHES
WOULD PUT INTERPRETATION
OF SEVERAL ARTICLES INTO
THE RATIFICATION

Washington. July 2s.-A number o
reservations to the league of nations
covenant have been suggested b!
Charles Evans Hughes Of New York
in an opinion transmitted under dat
of July "a to Senator Frederick Hat
" Maine. The opinion, as shown b!
~ correspondence made public here
today, was sought by the senator in
lDtter of July 2S. The senator wrote
that he felt certain that considerable
more than one.third of the senate
would refuse to ratify the peace treaty
with the covenant as it now stands
but that he personally did not want L
see that happen. He asked for al
opinion as to the validity of reserva
tions TO the league covenant and as tt
what those reservations should be.
There Is plain need for a league
of nations Mr.. Hughes wrote in re
ply, lin order to provide for the ade
quate development of International law
for creating and maintaining organs
of International justice and the ma
chinery Of cancellation and conference
and for giving effect to measures OF
international cooperation which from
time to time may be agreed upon.
Il perceive no reason why these OBJ
jects cannot be obtained without sacri
ficing the essential interests of the
United States. There is a middle
ground between aloftness and injuries
commitments.
Il think that the prudent course is
to enter the proposed league with res
ervations of reasonable character
adequate 70 our security, which should
meet ready assent, and thus to estaD
lish condition of amity at the earli
est possible moment.
Reservations would be Intellectual
unless they constitute a part of the
instrument of ratification.
III the senate should adopt reserva
tlons by majority vote" the letter
continued, Il assume that these will
be made a part of the proposed resolu
ton of assent to the treaty, and the
question will then be whether the sen
ate will give its assent. with these res
ervations, by the requisite two-thlrus
vote. If the proposed reservations are
reasonable, the responsibility for the
defeat of the treaty if it is defeated
will lie with those who refuse the
vote essential to the assent If the
senate gives its assent to the treaty
with reservations, the concurrence OF
the president will still be necessary, as
ratification will not be complete
without his action. and responsibility
for a refusal to give the ratification
with the reservations as adopted by
the senate as a part of the instrument
of ratification would thus lie with the
president"
Proposals BY Mr.. Hughes
In case of ratification with reserva-
tions, the other parties to the treaty
would be notified, he continued. AS a
contract the treaty would bind only
those who consent to 1t. After outhn-
ing his opinions on various articles
of the covenant, Mr.. Hughes wrote that
reservations and interpretations might
be in some such form as the following:
THE senate of the United States OF
America advises and consents to the
ratification of said treaty, with the
following reservations and understand
ings as to its Interpretation and erect
to be made a part of the instrument
of ratification
First: That whenever two years
notice of withdrawal from the league
of Nations shall have been given, as
provided in Article One of the cove
nant, the power giving the notice snail
cease to be a member of the league or
subject to the obligations of the cove
nant of the League of Nations, at the
time specified in the notice, notwith-
standing any claim, charge or finding
of the non-fulfillment of any interna'
tional obligation or of any obligation
under said covenant; provided, how
ever, that such withdrawal shall not
release the power from any debt or
liability therefore incurred.
Second: That questions relating to
immigration, or the imposition of dut-
les on imports where such questions
do not arise out of any international
engagement, are questions of domestic
policy, and these and any other ques-
tions which according to international
law are solely within the domestic
Jurisdiction are not to be submitted
for the consideration or action OF the
league of nations, or Of any or It's
agencies.
Third: That the meaning Of Article
XXI. of the covenant of the league
of nations is that the United States OIL
America does not relinquish its ira
,-ltional attitude toward purely Ameri-
can questions and is not required py
said covenant to submit its policies re-
garding questions which it seems 10
be purely American may oppose ana
prevent any acquisition by any non
American power by conquest, purchase
or in any manner of another treaty
possession or control in the western
hemisphere.
"Fourth That the meaning OF Aru-
Gle Y. of the covenant OF the league
of nations is that the members OF the
league are not under any obligation
to act in pursuance Of said article ex
cept as they may decide to act upon
the advice of the council of the league
The United States of America assumes
no obligation under said article to un-
dertake any military expedition, or to
Continued on page p