New-York tribune., 1919-07-17
Meeting With Members
of Foreign Relations
Committee Arranged;
Text of Draft a Secret
Reed and Gore to
Ask Reservations
Democrats to Side With
Rival Party's Senators
in Fight ON Covenant
By Carter Field
New York Tribune
Warrington Buredu

NeU York Tribune
Warrington Buredv
WASHINGTON. July 16.-President
Wilson will send to the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee copy of his owr
draft, generally called the American
draft, of the league of nations cove
nant, it was learned from an authorita-
tive source to-day.
This text will reveal that Mr.. Wilson
him self is the author of Article x,
which has caused more discussion than
any other clause of the peace treaty,
although it is now in danger of being
The disclosure is further interesting
in view of the recent statement of
President Wilson that without Article
K the league of nations would be q
mere debating society" This is the
article under which the nations of the
league guarantee the territorial intsg-
rity of all league members.
Bids Republicans to Conference
The fact that Mr.. Wilson's copy Of
the league of nations covenant was to
be made available to the Senate was
rivalled in interest here to-day only by
the fact that the President issued in
vitations to a number of Republican
Senators to confer with him tomorrow
at the White House regarding the
peace treaty. The names of the Sen
ators were not made public, but SEN
ator Lodge, chairman of the Foreign
Relations Committee, was said to be
one of those invited.
For reasons which no one explains,
the text of the Presidents league Of
nations draft has been guarded with
the utmost secrecy. Senator Brandegee
asked the President for copy tho
night Mr.. Wilson had the Foreign Re-
lations Committees of the two Houses
at the White House, on his return from
his first trip to Paris. But although the
President interposed no objection at
the time Mr.. Brandegee had never
been able to obtain a copy.
When the text of the covenant Of the
league was first given out it was ex-
planned in dispatches from Paris that
it was virtually the General Smuts, or
British, plan. President Wilson ad-
mitted on his return. at the time Sena.
tor Brandegee asked for a copy of the
American plan. that it was the British
plan which had been adopted.
No Article X in Smuts Plan
1t was pointed out. however, by
critics of Article x. that the Smuts
plan had no such provision as Article
K in it.
At the White House il is thought
, Mr.. Wilson's draft of the covenant will
be big surprise to the Senators who
, have been criticising Article K, the
!. Presidents authorship not having been
: suspected.
, Criticism of the President for hav.
ing fathered this section, and for hav-
ing persuaded the peace conference to
adopt it, is expected from Senators
; who are opposed to this section as IL
, now reads. Every Republican Senator.
according to the announcement of SEN
ator George H. Moses after a series OF
I conferences last Sunday, will vote in
E favor of a reservation virtually ex-
tracing the teeth" from this article
; without which, Mr.. Wilson has de.
clared, the league would be ineffective
e and helpless.
Reed and Gore for Reservation
In addition, at least two Democrati.
Senators, Reed and Gore. have pub
licly stated that they will vote for tn.
: reservation drawing the "claws" o,
1 this provision. Several other Dem
4 ocratic Senators are reported t,
a be wavering as to whether the,
: will support this reservation. bu
: without any more than those alread
e pledged ffty-one votes are sssured il
Q the Senate to amend the only sectio
- of the whole covenant not taken owe
bodily, according to dispatches fror
:. Paris, from the British plan.
j. The text Of this American, or Wi
s son, covenant was requested from tn
= Presidens by the Senate Foreign Rels
o tions Committee in the resolution pr.
n. posed by Senator Hiram Johnson an
u adopted by the committee. The resol,
"a tion also calls for much other inform,
q tion as to the proceedings at Part
re including the stenographic reports.
- It is stated by ADMINISTRATOR smoke
men. however, that such stenoeraph
- records are not p existence. as At Il