Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-20

cure cable communication.
The president: l think you are
right, sir
Senator Lodge referred to the secret
treaty between Japan and Great Bril-
tain regarding Shantung, and said
that in the correspondence relating to
the treaty, it was stated that Great
Britain should have the German is
lands south of the equator and Japan
those north of the equator.
Senator Lodge: If it should seem
necessary for the safety of communi-
cation for this country that We should
have a cable station there, would that
secret treaty interfere with it?
Thinks II All Right.
The president: Think not, in view
of the stipulation that / made with
regard to the construction by this ca
BILE convention. That note of the Brit
ish ambassador regarding the Ger
man islands, was a part of the Dip
lomatic correspondence, covering that
subject.
Senator Lodge: That was what 1
Understood.
Senator Moses: What was the stip-
ulation that that should be reserved
for the consideration of the cable con-
vention formally signed protocol?
The president: No, it was not a for
mally signed protocol, but we had a
prolonged and interesting discussion
on the subject, and nobody has any
doubt as to what was agreed upon.
Senator Lodge said that it seemed
that the treaty would give the five
principal allied and associated powers
the authority to make such DISPOSE
tions as they saw fit of those islands.
Senator Borah then asked who
would pass on the question under the
withdrawal clause of the league cove
nant, whether a nation has fulfilled
its international obligations.
The president: Nobody.
Senator Borah: Does the council
have anything to say about 1t?
The president Nothing whatever.
Subject to Public Opinion.
Senator Borah: Then if a country
should give notice of withdrawal it
would be the sole judge of whether or
not it had fulfilled it's international
obligations, its covenants to the
league.
The president: This Isl as l under
stand it. The only restraining influ-
the world.
Senator Borah then asked if notice
had been given the right to withdraw
would be unconditional,
The president: Well. when the no
tice is given, it is conditional on the
face of the conscience of the with
drawing nation at the close of the
two-year period.
Senator Borah: Precisely, but It is
unconditional so far as the legal right
or the moral right is concerned
The president: That is my interpre-
| tation.
Senator Borah: There is no moral
obligation on the part of the United
| States to observe any suggestion made
| by tn ecouncil.
The president Oh, no.
Senator Borah: With reference to
withdrawing.
The president: There might be a
moral obligation If that suggestion
had weight, senator. but there is no
other obligation.
! Senator Borah: Any\ moral obliga-
ton which the United States would
feel would be one arising from its own
sense of obligation.
The president: oh, certainly.
Entirely Erroneous
Senator Borah asked whether the
suggestion that the council would pass
on such an obligation was erroneous
and the president replied;
Eyes, certainly"
Senator Borah asked whether the
president was expressing the view held
by the commission which drafted the
H league.
hot
that was the view. That view was
not formulated, you understand, but
am confident that that was the view
In reply to Senator McCumber the
| president repeated that he felt il
would be mistake to embody interp-
relations in the resolution of ratifica-
ton, saying:
I'VE can interpret only moral OBJ
legation. The legal obligation can be
enforced by such machinery as there
is to enforce it. We are therefore al
liberty to interpret the sense in which
we undertake a moral obligation"
Senator McCumber asked whether
the other nations could not accept in
terpretations by the senate by ac.
quiescence."
The president: My experience as g
lawyer was not very long; but tina
experience would teach me that the
language of a contract is always par
of the debatable matter and in oul
discussions in the commission on the
J league of nations we did not discuss
ideas half as much as we discussed
phraseology.
The president said If reservation:
were embodied in the ratification
there would have to be either ex
plicit acquiescence or the elapsing O.
a long enough time for US to know
whether they (the other governments.
were implicitly acquiescing or not
Only Moral Obligations.
The president said his lnterpreta
ton was that the council had no
| power to pass on withdrawal of ma
ton from the league, or to deeld
| whether it had fulfilled its obligations
| THE only restraining influenc,
| would be the public opinion of tn,
| world" said the president.
| That, the president said, was TIN
view of the commission which drafted
| the league.
l The president said he had no wa
| of knowing whether Germany place
| the same construction on the article
/ as did the allies.
| Senator McCumber asked whethe
| other governments could not accep
interpretations by 'acquiescence."
III The president thought there eithe
would have to be explicit acquies
cence," or a stipulated time in whic
the United States could know whethe
acquiescence was being given.
| Any change in the treaty woul
have to be resubmitted to Germany
the president said:
| Senator Lodge said 1t was his un
LII dnrstn.,dir,rr that any PRESERVATION.