The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1919-08-19
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1919
TREATY RESERVATIONS

Senator Hitchcock believes that the
peace treaty may be reported out of
the committee on foreign relations
within two or three weeks, and it is
extremely likely that those weeks
will be devoted to heated sessions
by the committee. The bone of con-
tention will be the proposed reserva-
lions, and a word in regard to these
reservations may not be out of place
at this time.
The proposals which seem to be
most in favor are those of Mr.. Root
and are three in number. The first
of these rejects in toto Article H.
the one article which has created,
probably, more discussion than any
other article of the treaty It is as
follows:
"The members of the league (of
nations) undertake to respect and
preserve as against external aggres
sion the territorial integrity and ex-
listing political independence of all
members of the league. In case of
any such aggression or in case of any
threat or danger of such aggression
the council shall advise upon the
means by which this obligation shall
be fulfilled"
The second proposed reservation
deals with the provision that two
League of Nations shall be given,
such withdrawal to be allowed if the
nation wishing to withdraw has full
filed "all it's international Obliga-
tons and all it's obligations under
this covenant" Mr.. Root proposes
a reservation to the effect that when
ever two years notice Of withdrawal
from the League of Nations shall
have been given, as provided in Ar
ticle I, no claim, charge Or finding
that international obligations or obli-
cations under the covenant have not
been fulfilled will be deemed to rem
der the two years notice Intellectual
or to keep the power giving the notice
in the league after the expiration OF
the time specified in the notice"
The third proposed reservation is
in effect disclaimer Of any wish
to intrude upon or interfere with the
political policy or international ad-
ministration of any foreign state" and
the statement that it is . actuated
by mo existing or anticipated dan
gers in the affairs of the American
continents, but accedes to the wish
of the European states that it shall
Join it's powers to theirs for the pres
ervation Of general peace" with the
understanding that nothing therein
contained shall be construed to imply
REIMBURSEMENT by the United States
of America of it's traditional attitude
toward purely American questions,
or to require the submission of its
policy regarding questions which II
deems to be purely American ques
lions to the decision or recommends,
ton of other powers"
All of these reservations are no
doubt proposed by the highest mo
tives of craftsmanship and patriot
ism. But anyone who has read the
treaty and league covenant surely
must be convinced that these very
questions have been earnestly con
sidered and acted upon by the peace
conference which drew up the docu
ment. All weighty measures such al
the treaty of peace must of necessity
be largely the effect Of compromise
The document may not be wordet
exactly as Americans alone Woule
have worded it; and it is doubtful i
any document drawn up as was this
one was could meet the desires o.
all nations participating-or even o.
all parties of any one particular ma
ton. To those who look forward tc
the putting into effect of plan which
will make war impossible, or as near
ly impossible as it will be in the
power of human beings to make 1t
the attitude of the senators who are