New-York tribune., 1919-07-11

with newspaper men in the morning
and Democratic Senators at the Cap
itol directly after his address in the
Senate to-day, President Wilson made
his position clear on several points
about which there has been much
doubt, and in some instances consider
able conflict. Some of the more i'm
portant were:
Prohibition
he Will not issue a proclamation
that rehabilitation fhas been ccmplet-
ed-thus removing wartime prohibi-
tion-until the peace proclamation has
been issued, after the Senate has rati-
fled the peace treaty. In addition to
this, rehabilitation depends cn several
circumstances, such as the necessity
for keeping force in Germany until
she has surrendered most of the huge
stock of munitions still on hand, and,
indeed, until r time wher nobody will
be made nervous by the fear of Ger
man aggressions.
Trddc 2U:th Gern1ouy
All legal bars against the resump-
tion Of trade with Germany were re-
moved by the action of Germany in
ratifying the peace treaty. The only
limits to trade will be imposed by the
lack of sufficient ships and credits
This settled what seemed to be a mat
ter of controversy between the State
Department and the Department of
Justice.
Reservations
Reservations to the league of ma
tions covenant of the peace treaty pre-
sented a grave difficulty in that every
nation joining the league would have
to assent to them, and while this slow
process was going on the United States
still would be at war with Germany
Outside of holding wartime prohibi-
ton in force, no idea was given as to
what the penalty for this would be,
since trade already is legally restored
The President believes, however, that
even what seem to be innocuous
amendments or reservations may cause
great trouble, since it can never be
stated that other nations will view a
point as this country would. There
we're occasions at Paris when every
other nation took a view opposite to
that of the American commissioners
French Treaty
The President does not believe that
France would refuse to join the league
of nations if America should reject the
treaty, providing that America and
Britain would come to her support in
case of attack by Germany. He thinks
France would be cut to the heart by
such action, after the long era of good
feeling between the two countries He
was most explicit that the document
is not an "alliance," but an "agree-
ment," which merely provides, sub.
ject to the approval of the league it.
self of the idea in advance, that this
help would be rendered France, with
out waiting for the league to function
1t would really only be anticipating
league action, he believes.
Article X
The President believes that the
league would be merely a debating So
ciety if Article X were eliminated. He
does not think, however, that the
league could force the United States
to go to war. On the contrary, it was
necessary for him, as we'll as for the
representatives of Brazil and certain
other republics, to point out time and
time again that they could not pledge
their countries to go to war in ad-
vance The league, he believes, can
only propose military offensive meas
ures after the commercial boycott has
been put into effect. 1t is because Of
the possible delay in such an instance
that the treaty with France was
thought necessary.
.Shdntung
The President told Democratic Sena-
tors that he expected the Japanese to
fix an absolutely definite time when