The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-24
Ex-President Taft Has Plan to Insure
sas GO. p. Support of Peace Treaty
Letters to Will Hays National Chairman Set Forth Program
of Interpretations for Inclusion in Senate Ratification

Washington. July 24.--A program
OF interpretations to be included II
senate ratification OF the peace treat,
In order TO insure support OF the re-
| publicans favorable to a league idea
Is suggested in letters from former
President Taft to Will II. Hays, re-
publican national chairman. copies
of which are In the hands OF some oil
the republican senator's,
The letters suggest six "inter-
pretations' covering the right Of
withdrawal, limiting the repre-
sentation Of dominions and colo
MES, asserting the prerogative OF
congress to declare war under
Article X, confirming national
control over domestic issues, de-
filming the Monroe doctrine and
reservlng the right TO terminate
obligations under Article X at the
end Of ten years.
Mr.. Taft wrote that these inter-
pretations would not weaken the
league covenant but would, he be-
lieved, assure. ratification. He sug-
gested that he did not appear publicly
at this time as their sponsor because
II might bias some republicans
against them.
The letters both dated Ponte "a Pie,
Quebec, July 20, follow;
My Dear Mr.. Hays I'm what said
yesterday / did not go over the va
rious interpretations and reserva-
tons, because / thought that In our
previous correspondence they were
sufficiently explained. I think II wise,
now that have formulated them,
after a good deal OF thought, to take
up my reasons In detail for suggest
ing them, M ,
Speaking generally wish to en-
phasize my conviction that the
United States senate might Well rat
ify the present treaty without any
reservations or interpretations. I
am confident that the actual opera
ton of the treaty after ratification
would bring about exactly the same
result as that which would be at
tanned by the acceptance of these in
terpretations and reservations, but
II seems to me to be the part OF
statesmen to recognize the exigep-
cies, personal, partisan and DO
litical, OF situation in seeking to
achieve real progress and, reform.
Defects Due to Wilson.
The situation which confronts us
now. in reference to the ratification
of the treaty Is one created by very
serious mistakes of policy committed
by Mr.. Wilson. The partisan char
acter Of his administration during
the war, together with his appeal to
his countrymen to elect a democratic
congress in November, 1918, created
a condition Of personal and political
antagonism toward him among re-
publican leaders, which was shared
by a majority of the American peo-
pie. This was shown in the results
of the election. /. Notwithstanding
this. Mr.. Wilson persisted In con-
tinuing the same partisan exclusion
OF republicans in dealing with the
highly important matter of settling
the results of the war. He selected
a commission in which the repub-
leans had no representation and in
which there were no prominent
Americans of any real experience
and leadership of public opinion.
With such a commission his unusual
course in going abroad himself, as
president, greatly emphasized the
element in the framing of
the treaty and intensified the gem
eral tendency to oppose anything that
he might bring home, because of his
apparent wish to dictate the policy
of the world and monopolize 1.-The
credit for 1t.
feel that some of the defects of
the league of nations are due to him.
am confident that he prevented the
adoption of the plan of the league
to enforce peace in respect to an in
ternational court and the settlement
Of justfiable questions. This was,
as am advised, in the English plan,
but was studiously omitted from
the very satisfactory American plan.
His prejudice against courts is well
known. Article X, I think, is due
TO him primarily, because it is
merely the embodiment of the last
Of his fourteen points. While it
came from his suggestion, however,
II suited the demand of the French,
so far as it went, and l believe it to
be now the heart of the league in