The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-21
RATIFY FIRST


The presidents letter follows:
Ny dear senator Fall: You left yester-
day in my hands certain written questions
which I promised you l would answer.
am fastening to fulfill that promise.
I feel constrained to say in reply to your
first question not only that in my judg-
ment have not the power by proclamation
to declare that peace exists, but that L
could in no circumstances consent to take
such n course prior to the ratification of
a formal treaty of peace. l feel 1t due In
perfect frankness to say that 1t would, in
my opinion, put stain upon our national
honor which we never could efface If,
after sending our men to the battlefield to
fight the common cause, we should aban-
dou our associates In the war In the SCI
Element of the terms Of peace and dissoci-
ate ourselves from all responsibility with
regard to those terms.
/ suggest that having said this. l have
In effect answered also your second. third,
and fourth questions so far as l myself am
concerned.
Permit me to answer your fifth ques-
ton by saying that the provisions Of the
treaty to which you refer operate merely
to establish peace between the powers rati-
flying, and thus 1t is questionable whether
It can. be said that the League of Nations
is in any true sense created by the asse-
ciation of only three of the allied and
associated governments.
In reply to your sixth question. can
only express the confident opinion that the
immediate adoption of the treaty along
with the articles Of the covenant OF the
league as written would certainly within
the near future reduce the cost OF living
in this country and elsewhere by restoring
production and commerce to their normal
strength and freedom.
For your convenience Will number the
remaining paragraphs of this letter as the
! questions to which they are intended to
reply are numbered.
ii have had no official Information as
| to whether Norway, Sweden. Denmark.
| Holland or Switzerland will join the league.
| 81 answered your eighth question In re-
\ ply to a question asked me at our confer
ence the other day. erhis question referred
I to licensing of exports to Germany9
Gin February. 1917, Spain was re-
| ests in Germany thru her diplomatic and
| consular representatives and no other ar
/ engagements have since been made
/ 10-The committee to prepare plans for
! the organization of the League for the es-
! tablishment of the seat of the League and
I for the proceedings of the first meeting
I of the assembly has been appointed but
has not reported.
11-Article 11S of the peace treaty. part
| four, under which Germany renounces all
J her rights to territory formerly, belonging
! to herself or to her allies, was understood,
/ so far as special provision was not made
1 in the treaty itself for its disposition. as
| constituting the principal allied and assO-
ciated powers. the authority by which such
i disposition should ultimately be deter
/ mined. 1t conveys no title to those powers
! but merely intrusts the disposition of the
territory In question to their deeision.
! 12-iermany'S Remuneration IN favor Of
the principal allied and associated powers
] IF her rights and titles to her overseas
as Visiting in those powers a trusteeehil