The sun., 1919-04-19
Secret Promise Said to ViO-
late Precedent, if Not
PrerOgatives.
CAREFULLY GUARDED
Appears to BE Admission OF
Weakness of League
of Nations.
POSSIBLY NOT A TREATY
Theory That 1t Is Pledge to
Appeal to Senate for It's I
Assurance.

stay Correspondent OF THE SuS.

copvri0ht. 1919; all ri0hta rescrred.
PARIS, April 1S.-There can he no
doubt that President Wilson has en-.
tered into some kind of agreement
with France to guarantee her protec-
ton in case she should be attacked
again, and that his plan now is to
submit this agreement to the Ameri-
can Senate as q separate Instrument.
entirely outside Of the League OF Ma
tlons covenant, and requiring, there
fore, separate approval by the Senate
to make it binding. Doubtless this
will be done simultaneously with the
submission of the peace treaty.
This action is without precedent in
American history. Its most striking
feature is the implication of the
Presidents own lack Of faith In the
League of Nations which he has
created, and 1t seems almost violative
Of the whole idea upon which the
league is founded. 1t seems to mark
the end of the dream which has held
the world enthralled but could not
continue before the cold. hard facts
Of the situation.
Britain in the Alliance.
The new agreement is in the nature
of an alliance between the United
States and Great Britain, EACH pledg-
Ing itself to 70 to the support OF
France, but not to the mid of each
other, as in the old Triple Alliance.
The greatest secrecy still surrounds
! tho entire affair. which. It is gen.
7 orally believed, will be regarled gen
| orally as one Of the most startling
| developments Of the entire conference
when the facts become known.
Those who know the nature Of the
Presidents promise, although they rn-
frain carefully from discussing II. ad-
init virtually that his action breaks
another American precedent. In fact
| there is reason 10 believe that tho
| President in going so far acted against
! the advice of some of his advisors
here. who fear that il will raise n
! Nh''-'loNo ''iINAllutlDIIi4 NutSlIpll.
That the giving Of such assurances
in his capacity as President has
aroused misgivings Is very apparent.
| While there may Ne support IN
America for sort of alliance with
/ France to prevent recurrence of the
! war on the initiative Of Germany, yet
! If the President has strained his con-
sttutonal prerosNtivcs in this In
stance Il dangerous reaction. many
predict. will he inevitable, with far
reaching consequences.
Ciemenceau May Reveal ~.
There are indications that Premier
Clcmenceau will make a speech in the
Chamber of Deputies before man?
days IN reply to his critics and tine n,
tncks that the Mdtin IS making
against him. and many believe that
the Presidents pledge to France t.
the trump card that he is holding for
that occasion.
If the President virtually has re
pudiated his own league of nations
plan and committed himself more or
loss detinita,v IN pram,ar f,lnre,
ceau's substitute for f. which Is m
alliance ~ nro,ect tba neorn of tho
! world ogoins, onothar German irrun-
ton. as seems To he indicated on the
srrfoco Of ,ho sIt,,otion that wou,d
moan that Premier Clcmenccuu bs1
won one Of thr worlds greatest d,n,o.
matte victories.
Il VIII bp recalled that President