Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-28
HUGHES URGES
RESERVATIONS IN
PEACE TREATY
Declares League Is Needed, but Opposes
Sacrificing Interests of United States;
Frames Resolution For Senate

Washington, July Is. - Charles
last Presidential election, has drawn
up a resolution which he offers for
adoption by the United States Sem
ate, consenting to inclusion of the
League of Nations Covenant in the
Peace Treaty. but suggesting four
reservations to prevent Sacrificing
the essential interests of the United
States"
This became known to-day when
correspondence between Mr.. Hughes
and Senator Frederick Hale, Re-
publican, of Maine, dealing with
ratification of the Treaty, was made
public.
While finding am antiquities in Arti-
cles l and XIV, dealing respectively
with withdrawal from the League
and questions of purely a domestic
nature, Mr.. Hughes takes chief eX-
ception to Articles mi and ~
which concern the Monroe Doctrine
and the liability of the United States
to provide armed forces to protect
other members of the League.
The descriptive phrase" employed
in connection with the Monroe Doc
trine is said by Mr.. Hughes to be
inaccurate" while Article \ is
branded by him as a trouble breed
err" which if not eliminated, should
be thoroughly interpreted. ANY
reservations" Mr.. Hughes added,
should be incorporated in the In
strument of ratification" to make 1t
valid but the fact that such reser-
walton are made should not LEAD 10
the assumption that the treaty
would fail or the Peace Conference
would have to resume operations.
Sees Need For League.
The resolution suggested by Mr..
Hughes is embodied in letter re-
plying to one from Senator Hale re-
questing Mr.. Hughes opinion on the
validity of reservations to the pro-
posed covenant and also asking Mr..
Hughes what reservations in your
judgment should be made to safe
guard the interests of our country.
In his letter, Senator Hale asserts
he wants to see some plan devised
whereby the United States may
safely enter the League of Nations"
In his reply, Mr.. Hughes states,
"there is plain need for League
of Nations" He added that there is
also the immediate cXiscncy to be
considered" and that sit is manifest
that every reasonable effort should
be made to establish peace as
promptly and to bring about Il con-
dition i'll which Europe can resume
its normal Industrial activity.
. Il see no reason why these OBJ
jects cannot be attained without
sacrificing the essential interests of
the United States" Mr.. Hughes con-
tinues. There is middle ground
between aloofness and injurious COM
mitments."
just Beginning
While regretting that suitable"
steps have not been taken to formu-
late international legal principles
and settlement of disputes by inn
partial tribunals, Mr.. Hughes de-
clares there is merit enough in the
proposed plan to make it desirable
to secure it, if proper safeguards
can be obtained" "He adds that 'it
is just as futile to eXaggerate its
value as it is to see nothing but its
defects" In his opinion the propos-
ed covenant should be viewed 'as
a mere beginning" "but it is i'm
portant that a false start should not
be made.
The question as to the validity of
reservations has two aspects, says
Mr.. Hughes: First, with respect to
action on our part which is essen
tial to making of reservations; and,
second as to the effect of reserVa-
tions upon other parties to the
Treaty.
LAS to the first question, it is
manifest that attempted reserva-
tions will be Intellectual unless they
qualify the act of ratification" said
Mr.. Hughes adding that such reser-
vatons must constitute part of the
instruments of ratification.
Would Play Safe.
If the proposed reservations are
reasonable, responsibility for defeat
CONTINUED on Page 1871