The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-08-19
MUCH DISCUSSED ARTICLE 10
IS OF DOUBTFUL MEANING
The Questions of immigration and Tariff Do Not
Come Under Article 16, and the Council of the
League of Nations Would Make No Report on
Them, Declared the President in Conference
To-day.

Washington, ID. u, Aug le.-Presldent
Wilson told the Senate foreign relations
committee at the outset of his conference
to-day that he could see no reasonable
objection" to interpretations of how the
United States accepts the league of ma
tions provided such interpretations did
not form part Of the formal ratifica-
zion itself.
If interpretations were part of the
formal ratification, he eontended, long
delays would follow, as other govern
ments would have to accept in effect the
language of the Senate as the language
of the treaty before ratification would
be complete" Most of the interpreta.
tions, he said, seemed to him TO suggest
the 'tplain meaning of the instrument
itself"
The much discussed article TO-, the
president told the senators, was not OF
doubtful Interpretation when read in
connection with the whole covenant.
The council, he said, could only advise
and as its action must be unanimous,
the affirmative vote of the United States
would be necessary to any question al
fecting it.
Article l6, the president said provided
that where there is dispute found to be
solely within the jurisdiction of one OF
4 The parties, unless international, the
league council shall so report and make
no recommendation for it's settlement
immigration, tariffs and the like, the
president said, clearly came under that
provision.
The president told the committee the
league council would have nothing
whatever" to do with deciding whether
the United States had fulfilled its obli-
cations in case of withdrawal from the
league.
The president said the United States
would have complete freedom of choice
as to the application of force" in carry
ing out article 10 of the league covenant
President Wilson said: "Mr, Chair
man: / am sincerely glad that the com
mittee should have responded in this way
to my intimation that / would like to
be Of service to it, / welcome the OPP
portunity for franS and full inter
change of views.
Il hope, too, that this conference will
serve to expedite your consideration of
the treaty of peace. beg that you will
pardon and indulge me if ! again urge
that practically the whole task of bring
ing the country back TO normal condi-
tions of life and industry waits on the
decision of the Senate with regard to the
terms of the peace.
Il venture thus again to urge my ad-
vice that the action of the Senate with
regard to the treaty be taken at the
earliest practicable moment because the
problems with which we are face to face
in the readjustment of our national life
are of the most pressing and critical
character, will require for their proper
solution the most intimate and disinter-
ested cooperation of all parties and all
interests and cannot be postponed with
out manifest peril to our people and ia
all the national advantages we hold most
dear. May / mention few Of the mat
ters which cannot be handled with in
telligence until the country knows the
character of the peace it is to have?
do so only by very few samples,
"'The copper mines Of Montana and
Alaska, for example, are being kept open
and in operation only at great cost
and loss, in part upon borrowed money
the zinc mines of Missouri, Tennessee
and Wisconsin are being operated at
about one-half their capacity; the lead
mines at Idaho, Illinois and Missouri
reaches only portion of its former mar.
ket; there is an immediate need for cot.
ton, betting and also for lubricating oil
which cannot be met-all because the
channels of trade are barred by wal
when there is no war. The same is true
of raw cotton, of which the central EN-
pires alone formerly purchased nearly
four million bales. And these are only
examples. There is hardly single raw
material, a single important foodstuA
or single class of manufactured good,
which is not in the same case Our full
normal profitable production waits OF
peace.
"0ur military plans, of course, wait
upon it. We cannot intelligently ol
wisely decide how large naval or mill
tary force we shall maintain or what oul
policy with regard to military training
is to be until we have peace, not only
but also until we know how peace is t
be sustained, whether by the arms of sin
gle nations or by the concert Of all tht
great peoples. And there is more thar
that difficulty involved The vast sur
plus properties of the army include, mo-