The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1919-08-21
WILSON DESCIBES
PEACE PARLEYS
DECLARES, COVENANT IMPOSES
NO LEGAL OBLIGATIONS FOR
USE OF MILITARY FORCES


Washington, Aug. 19.-President
Wilson, interpreting the league of
nations covenant today for the SEN
ate foreign relations committee, de-
clared it imposed no legal obligation
for the use of American military
forces in protecting territory in any
nation.
But he added that the covenant
might involve in certain cireum-
stances an absolutely compelling
moral obligation which might be
even stronger than a legal promise.
Pressed for more exact definition
by committee members who insisted
that the whole arrangement was "a
rope of sand," he asserted that on
the sea.rary he considered it as
placing the nass6Yfs IN an attitude
of comradeship and protection which
would compel respect for the prin-
ciples of justice and liberty.
Meeting the committee in round
table discussion in the East Room
of the White House, in contradiction
to the precedents of more than
century and with the whole nation
listening through the medium OF
relay of public stenographers the
president went into many of the de,
tails of the peace negotiations, ana
touched on ali the hotly debated
questions which have divided the
senate in its consideration of the
treaty.
Article 10 of the covenant guar
anteeing the integrity of the league
members against aggression, he dc
clared would leave to each nation
complete freedom of choice as TO
the application of force" Even If
the American representative on the
council Joined in unanimous recon-
mcndation for military action the
final decision for peace or war must
rest so far as concerned the United
States with Congress, he said.
Whatever advice the council gave
under its authority to take such &C.
ton as is deemed appropriate
must also be deemed appropriate by
the United States to be binding on
this government, he argued, though
in the background which would be
such potential moral force that ne
doubted if the nation would often
decline to act.
The President revealed that ia
pans promise to return Shantung
province to China was reduced to
writing in the minutes Of the peace
conference. He asserted he had
"every confidence" that the promise
would be carried out and told the
senators it was "the best that could
be got" out of the negotiations. ia
pan having given notice she would
withdraw from the conference If her
demands were refused. The Ameri-
can delegates, he said, had tried to
keep the nation free from obliga-
tions in European affairs 80 far as
it was honorably possible to do SO,
but he asserted that it might be
necessary to keep some American
troops in the Rhine district under
treaty for the next Is years.
He declared the nation would be
its own sole judge whether its obll-
cations had been fulfilled under the
disputed withdrawal clause Of the
league covenant; that purely domes-
tic questions were safe from the
leagues interference; and that the
Monroe doctrine was clearly pre-
served.
The league, the president explain
ed, was built on the plan of General
SHUTS of South Africa.
MIR. Wilson revealed that he had
suggested the United States take no
part of the German reparation but
had asked that the conference re-
serve disposition of the German
Pacific island of zap on a suggestion
that it was needed for an American
naval station.
Some of the senator's questions
the president declined to answer on
the ground of international policy:
How the American delegation stood
on Japan's proposal for racial
equality clause in the league coven-
ant he said he could not disclose "in
the interest international good un-
derstanding" and for the same rea-
son he said he could not go into the
negotiations over the French from
tier of give the committee a copy Of
the record of Japan's Shantung
promise.
Early action on the treaty was
urged in a statement by the presi-
dent at the outset of the conference.
This was necessary he held, so that
peace might be reached and the
other treaties under negotiation 2oW
at Versailles were being DELAYED
until the world learned what woN.G
happen to the no reasonable ooJec-
ton to senate retreaty With GerGanT
He said he saw servation but thought
it unwise to incorporate them in the