The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1919-09-13
FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE
REPORTED LEAGUE COVENANT
TO SENATE LAST WEDNESDAY


report containing amendments to the treaty
and reservations to the League of Nations
covenant.
The treaty will go back to the Senate two
months to the day from the date it was laid
before the body by President Wilson. Sena-
tor Hitchcock of Nebraska, ranking Demo-
cratic member of the committee presented
a majority report yesterday, and general
debate will begin Monday, to continue until
final action is taken.
The foreign relations committee, by ma
jority vote, proposes some drastic changes
in the treaty. AS reported to the Senate,
it will contain four drastic reservations and
four amendments, designed to protect Amer
lean sovereignty from foreign interference.
The reservations are made part of the
resolution of ratification, which also pro-
vides that they must be accepted by at least
three of the principal allied powers = Great
Britain, France, Italy and Japan = before
the United States consents to be party to
the treaty.
The text of the foreign relations COM
mittee resolution follows:
'RESOLVED, Two-thirds of the sena-
tors concurring therein.
THAT the Senate advise and consent to
the ratification of treaty of peace with
Germany, signed by the plenipotentiaries of
the United States and Germany and by the
plenipotentiaries of the twenty-seven allied
and associated powers, at Versailles, on
June %, 1919, with the following reserva-
tons and understanding to be made part
and condition of such ratification, which
ratification is not to take effect or bind the
United States until the said following res
ervations and understandings have been ac
cepted as part of and condition of said
instrument of ratification by at least three
of the four principal allied and associated
powers, to-wit Great Britain, France, Italy,
and Japan;
a. The United States reserves to itself
the unconditional right to withdraw from
the league of nations upon the notice pro-
vided in article | of said treaty of peace
with Germany.
g. That the United States declines to
assume, under the provisions of article x
or under any other article, any obligation to
preserve the territorial integrity or political
independence of any other country, or to
interfere in controversies between other
nations members of the league or not, or to
employ the military or naval forces of the
United States in such controversies, or to
adopt economic measures for the protection
of any other country whether member of
the league or not, against external agrees
ion, or for the purpose of coercing any other
country, or for the purpose of Intervention
in the international conflict or other contro-
versies which may arise in any other coun-
try and no mandate shall be accepted by the
TToi+ed Sto4ac ,,pder W.T. mort I
of the treaty of peace with Germany except
by action of the Congress of the United
States.
90. The United States reserves to itself
exclusively the right to decide what ques-
tons are within its domestic jurisdiction and
declares that all domestic and political ques-
tons relating to its affairs, including immi-
grafton, coastwise traffic. the tariff, COM
merce and all other domestic questions are
solely within the jurisdiction of the United
States, and are not under this treaty sub
mitted in any way, either to arbitration or
to the consideration of the council of the
assembly of the League of Nations or to the
decision or recommendation of any other
power.
a. The United States declines to sub
NIT for arbitration or inquiry by the as
sembly or the council of the League of
Nations, provided for in said treaty of peace,
any questions which in the judgment of
the United States depend upon or relate to
its long established policy, commonly known
as the Monroe Doctrine; said doctrine is
TO be interpreted by the United States alone,
and is hereby declared to be wholly outside
the jurisdiction of said League of Nations
and entirely unaffected by any provision
contained in the said treaty of peace with
Germany"
Following are the four amendments pro-
posed by the foreign relations committee:
|. The amendment by Senator Johnson
to give the United States equal voting
power with Great Britain in the league
2. The amendment by Senator Moses to
deprive any of the lesser dominions of Great
Britain or any other power from partici-
pating in any dispute affecting any part of
the nation.
3. Senator Falls amendment taking the
United States out of all participation in any
of the commissions formed by the treaty.
This amendment applies to thirty-hve sepa-
rate sections in the treaty.
4. The Shantung amendment providing
that Shantung should be returned to China
instead of Japan.
The reservations were all drafted by
Senator Lodge who proposed them to the
committee.
A statement prepared by Senator Moses
and embodying the views of those who, like
Senators Borah, Johnson, Fall and himself
are opposed to the entire treaty. was given
out after the meeting In the statement