The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-19

treaty would presently be clouded |
from one end Of its clauses to the
other.
Pardon me, Mr.. Chairman, II / have
been entirely unreserved and plain |
spoken In speaking Of the great mat
ters we all have so much at heart. II
excuse is needed, I trust that the
critical situation of affairs may serve
as my justification. The issues that
manifestly hang upon the conclusions
Of the senate with regard to peace
and on the time OF its action are so
great and so clearly insusceptible Of
being thrust on one side or postponed
that l have felt 1t necessary In the
public interest to make this urgent
plea, and to make it as simple and as
unreservedly as possible.
Lodge Queries Wilson.
After the President had delivered
his statement, Senator Lodge said:
Mr.. President. so far as I am per
sonally concerned-and think I repre-.
sent perhaps the majority Of the COM
mittee in that respective have no
thought OF entering upon arguments as
to interpretations or points of that
character; but the committee was
very DESTROYS OF getting information
and on which they thought informa-
ton would be of value to have in con.
sideration of the treaty which they, I
think may say for myself and others,
desire to hasten it every possible way
Your reference to the necessity of
action leads me to ask one question.
If we have to restore peace to the
world it Is unnecessary / assume that
there should be treaties with Austria,
Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria. Those
treaties are all more or less connected
with the treaty with Germany. The
question should like to ask is what
the prospects are OF receiving those
treaties for action.
The president: 1 think it is very
good, sir. and so far as I can Judge
from the contents Of the dispatches
from my collea CUES on the other side
Of the water, the chief delay is due
to the uncertainty as to what is 60
ing to happen to this treaty. This
treaty is a model Of the others.
saw enough Of the others before I
ing framed upon the same set of prin-
ciples and that the treaty with Ger
many is the model I think that is the
Other Treaties Defended
Senator Lodge: They are not re-
garded as essential to the considera-
ton of this treaty?
The president: They are not re-
garded as such, no sir; they follow
this treaty.
Senator Lodge: I do not know
about the other treaties, but the
treaty with Poland, for example, has
been completed?
The president: Yes and signed;
but it is dependent upon this treaty.
Ny thought was to submit it upon
the action on this treaty.
Senator Lodge then asked whether
the president would show the com
mittee the tentative league of nations
drafts submitted by Great Britain,
British Draft Definite
The president: / would have sent
them to the committee with pleasure
senator, If I had found that had
them. ! took it for granted that had
them; but the papers that remain in
my hands remain there In haphazard
way. 1 can tell you the character oil
the other drafts. The British draft
was the only one as l remember that
was in the form of a definite consti
tuition of league. The French and
Italian drafts were In the form Of a
series Of propositions, laying down
general rules and assuming that the
commission, or whatever body made
the final Foundations would build
upon those principles II they were
| adopted. They were principles quite
consistent with the final action.
l remember saying to the committee
when was here in March, have for
gotten the expression / used, but il
was something to the effect that the
British draft had constituted the basis
| thought afterward that that was mis-
leading, and l am very glad to tell the
committee just what l meant.
Story Of Draft
Some months before the conference
assembled, a plan for the league of ma
tions had been drawn up by a British
Mr.. Phillimore-I believe the Mr.. Phil
limore who was known as the author
ity on international law. A copy O.
that document was sent to me and
built upon that redraft. l will no
now say whether / thought it was bet
ter or not an improvement. But
| poAiI I'll lAioI a III dAL "llSu wac Qullt
different, inasmuch as it put definite
ness where there had been what seem
ed indefiniteness in the Phillimore sug
gestion. Then between that time ant
the time of the formation of the com
mission of the league of nations,
had the advantage of seeing a pape
by General SHUTS of South Africa, wht
seemed to me to have done some yer,
clear thinking. particularly with re
gard to what was to be done with tn,
pieces of the dismembered empire AT
ter I got to Paris therefore, rewrot
the document to which I have alluded
and you may have noticed that it con
sists of a series of articles and thel
l embodied the additional ideas tina
had come to me not only from Genera
SHUTS paper, but from other discus
sions That is the full story of how
the plan which / sent to the committe
was built up.
Senator Lodge: Then Of course I
is obvious that the General Smut
plan had been used. That appears OF
the face Of the document
The president: Yes.
Senator Lodge: Then there was
previous draft in addition to the on
you have sent to us. You spoke of
redraft. That was not submitted t