The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-05-10
AMERICAS PLEDGE
OF AlDsg.!o! FRANCE
HELD AS ALL.
Is Doubt of Being Accepted
BY Parliament and
Senate
TO PROTECT FRANCE
If Agreed Upon by England and
France 1t Will Not Be Taken to
Council Until Ratification
TO PROTECT FRANCE

NEW YORK, May 10-Will the
American people and Senate approve
of both the alliance with France and
the League of Nations? This is the
question now being asked in Paris,
following the official announcement
that President Wilson and Premier
David Lloyd George would immediate
ly submit to the Senate and to Par
lament on engagement" pledging
the United States and Great Britain
to give military aid to France in the
event Of an unprovoked attack on her
by Germany.
The French press insists such an
arrangement would be an alliance, but
the American peace delegation deny
this and declare it is quite consistent
with the League of Nations, in that
it is being openly arranged and sub
ject to the leauge's approval. Some
we'll informed observers, who are less
optimistic, declare it is an admission
of the inability of the League of Ma
tions as it now is constituted to ade-
quately protect France or any other
nation from aggression and attack.
All this has raised much specula-
ton here regarding the attitude OF the
republican senate, a majority of
whose members, it is feared in cer-
tain circles, might desire to reject the
League of Nations and adopt a
Strengthening alliance. However, so
interviewer is the League Of Nations
covenant with the peace treaty that
to reject one of them is to reject both.
The Anglo-American agreement, if
it is agreed to by the Senate and by
Parliament, will not be put before
the council of the League of Nations
until after ratification by the treaty
approving powers of the United
States and Great Britain.
Oscar S. Straus of New York city,
said today that in his opinion the
proposed alliance does not in any way
weaken the League of Nations, but,
on the other hand, is a sign of its
strength, in that it was openly arrived
at and subject to the leagues ap-
proval.
81 believe the arrangement is en-
tirely unnecessary" he said. "How-
ever, it in no way destroys the power
of the league. 1t is a concession to
the fears of she'll shocked France, who
has not yet recovered from the brutal
attempt of Germany to eliminate her
from the earth. l believe the Ameri-
can people will approve OF the agree
ment when they understand 1t and
know it is subject to the approval OF
the Executive Council of the League
of Nations, which represents all ma
tions. In reality it is an arrangement
within the league. 1t amounts to a
deputation of the United States by
the league to handle certain part
of the world situation which must be
faced under the league.
"Not all nations would be called on
to render aid in the event of hostili-
ties between two Powers. Those
nearest to the conflict, or those in the
best position to aid, would be used.
In this case England and America,
under the league, would simply carry
out the provisions of the league in
case of an attack by Germany on
France.
81 see no real objection, and as
one of the first advocates of the Lea
que of Nations, l do not think the
covenant would be in the least en-
dangered through the ratification of
this agreement. 1t is not an alliance
by any stretch of the imagination"