The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-08-23
President Wilson Gives Inside
Information to Many
Senators
EXPLAINS IN DETAIL
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Covenant Does Not Require
United States to Protect
Other Nations

Washington, Aug. 19.-President
Wilson. interpreting the league OF
nations covenant today for the senate
foreign relations committee. declared
it imposed no legal obligation for the
Use of American military forces in
protecting territory in any nation.
But he added that the covenant
might involve in certain circam-
stances an absolutely compelling NOR
al obligation which might even be
stronger than legal promise.
Pressed for a more exact definition
by committee members who insisted
that the whole arrangement, was "a
rope of sand" he asserted than on the
contrary he considered it as placing
the nations in IAN attitude Of con:-
radeship and protection, which would
compel respect FOR the principles af
Justice and liberty.
Meeting the committee in round
table discussion in the eastern room o1
the White House, in contradiction to
the preceCents of more than CEN
/ tury and with the whole nation lis
rening through the medium OF re-
lay of public stenographers, the Pres
ident went into many Of the details
of the peace negotiations and touch
ed on all the hotly debated questions
which nave divided the senate in its
consideration Of the treaty.
Article 10 Of the covenant guaran-
teeing the integrity Of the league mem
bers against aggression, he declared
would leave to each nation complete
freedom of choice as to the appl;ca-
ton of force Even if the American
representative on the council joined
| in unanimous recommendation for mil
itary action thefnal decision for peace
or war must rest as far as concerned
the Unitetd States, with Congress, he
said.
Whatever advice the council gave
under it's authority to take such ac-
ton as is deemed appropriate" must
also be deemed approriate by tn"
United States to be binding on this
government, he argued though in the
background which would be such a
potential moral force that he doubt
ed if the nation would often decline
to act.
The President revealed that Japan's
promise to return Shantung province
Ito China was reduced to writing IN
l'the minutes Of the peace conference.
He asserted that he had every. con-
llddence" that the promise would be
carried out and told the senator's it
was the best that could be got out
of the negotiations, Japan ha ing Civ
en- notice she would withdraw from
the conference if her demands We're
refused The American delegates, he
said, had tried to keep the nation free
! from obligations in European affairs
so far as it was honorably possible to
do So" but he asserted that it might
be necessary to keep some American
troops in the Rhine district under
treaty for the next Is years
He declared the nation would be its
own sole judge whether its obllga-
tons had been fulfilled under the dis
puted Withdrawal clause CT the league
covenant: that purely domestic ques-
tons were safe from the leagues in
reference ans. that the Monroe Doc
trine was clearly preserved.
The league. the President explained.
was built on the plan OF General
SHUTS of South Africa.
Mr.. Wilson revealed that he had
suggested the United States take no
part of the German reparation but
had asked that the conference reserve
disposition Of the German Pacific is
land of Yap on suggestion that it was
needed for an American naval sta
tion
Some Of the senator's questions the
President declined to answer on the
ground cf international policy. How
the American delegation stood on
Japan's proposal for a racial equality
clause III the league covenant he said
he could not disclose "in the interest
of international good standtins' and
fer the same reason he said he could
not go into the negotiations over the
French frontier or give the commit
tee copy Of the record Of Japan's
Shantung promise.