New-York tribune., 1919-08-20
Treaty Critics
Say Attacks
Are Justified
Johnson and Borah Contend
Admissions Bly, Wilson
Sustain Reas sons for
Their Fight OH Pact
New York Tribune
WGsh,rOtOn Bureou

washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Aug. l9.-Declaring
tt i the President, by admitting there
IVES moral obligation under the
leagu. Of nations which would inject
the United States into European quar-
rels, had sustained the reasons for
their opposition to the treaty and
league, Senator Borah of Idaho, and
Hiram johnson, of California, to-
night issued the following statement
on the White House meeting:
IN our opinion the significant facts
developed by the interview with the
President to-day are these
T. There yet remain treaties of peace
to be made with Austria, Hungary,
Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire.
These treaties deal with subjects as
important, territory as extensive, and
matters as intimately affecting the
United States as the treaty with Ger
many. The obligations Of the United
States, therefore, what our country as
sumes in the future. cannot be deter
mined until these treatries are com
pieted and presented to the United
States Senate.
Moral Obligations" Stated
$50. The President regards the obl-
cations which will be assumed under
the league of nations, and particularly
under Articles X and Xl as moral
obligations. These, however, are of
compelling force and would require
action upon our part. For instance
the President comedies that in an un-
doubted case of aggression from the
Balkans upon the newly acquired terri
tory of Italy it would be our duty to
come to the assistance of Italy and
prevent such aggression. The Pres-
dents construction of Article X is at
variance with the construction of the
Dem ocratic attorneys Of the Senate.
"3. A moral obligation, the President
insists, rests upon us to carry out the
terms OF the various treaties of peace
This moral obligation, the President
treaty for fifteen years to maintain
American troops in Europe.
"a. The President did not know, nor
had he heard, of the secret treaties for
territorial acquisition and partitioning
various territories until he reached
Paris. Specifically he had not heard of
end did not know, until he went to
Paris, (a) of the treaty of London on
the basis CT which Italy entered tne
war in 1913; b of the agreement with
Rumania of August, 1915; (c) of he
4
Minor; cd of the agreements consurl-
mated in the winter of 1917 between
France and Russia relative to the from.
tiers of Germany, and particularly in
relation to the Saar Valley and the left
bank Of the Rhine; (e) of the agree
ments Of Japan, England, France and
Italy by which Shantung substantially
was given to Japan.
United States Kept Uninformed
The United States was neither Off
cially nor unofficially informed of any
Of these treaties or agreements, nor
was any request made by the United
States for information submitted to
any Of the Allied governments.
"5. The President opposed the Shan
tung decision. 1t was officially con-
veyed to him that the japanese would
not sign unless the Shantung rights
were given to Japan. The United States
experts advised the President that
Japans' verbal promise to return the
sovereignty of the territory in Shan
tung, while retaining the economic con-
cessions, was return of the she'll Of
the kernel. The Chinese insisted the
retention of the economic privileges
meant practical sovereignty, but the
President says he disagreed with this
view.
IS. England, France and Italy ad
hered at the peace conference to the
secret treaties disposing of peoples and
territories in the Shantung case
therefore the President was the onlv
disinterested judge. The decision,
however, was made unanimously.
~. The United States asked China
to enter the war
Some Facts Held Secret
IS. The American commission at
Paris urged that definite sum Of rep
arations be fixed in the treaty. Why
this view did not prevail the President
felt he could state without diyuleinc
matters respecting other governments
he felt he should not divulge.
"9. The President felt that he could
Continued on pape three