Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-08-07
INTERPRETATIONS ARE
NOT AMENDMENTS

| That interpretations by the presi
| dent or the senate OF the league COW
enant will have no binding effect up
on the league in constructing its
provisions is the contention of the
Republican Publicity Association
In the following statement given out
through it's president, Hon. Jona-
than Bourne, Jr., it is argued that
reliance can be placed only on ac-
tual amendments to the text of the
covenant.
1.-THE president is understood to
be ready to accept ratification OF
the peace treaty by the senate with
such reservations of an interpreta-
tive nature as senators may care to
add, but he remains unalterably OPP
posed to any changes in the text.
Mr.. Wilson himself is busily engag-
ed in interpreting the treaty to re-
publican senators as he calls them
to the white house one by one. But
he is making little progress in his
efforts to convince the league OPP
moments that adherence to the cove
nant will mean no surrender on
the part of the United States.
''It is all very we'll in the course
of the discussion for Mr.. Wilson and
senators to explain the treaty and
covenant. But it must not be for
gotten that interpretations are
merely matters of opinion. The
plain language of the treaty contin-
ues TO stare US in the face, regard
less of how often or by whom its
terms are construed. Once the
undertaking is signed by the Unit
ed States our power of translating
its provisions passes from us. The
league council then has the situa-
ton in hand, and we are bound by
the construction it's members care
to put upon the document TO which
we have subscribed. Previous ex-
pressions of Mr.. Wilson and senat-
ors as to what they thought the COW
enant meant when it was endorsed
by the United States will have no
weight once Publications are ex-
changed.
THAT was precisely the trouble
with China. The Chinese delegates
were ready to sign the treaty, pro-
yided they could make certain res
ervations before attaching their sig
natures instead of after. That they
were prevented from doing, where
upon they withdrew from the con-
fe.ence. The Chinese we'll knew
that the treaty with their signatures
at the end constituted a distince and
separate obligation on their part. re-
CARELESS of any qualifications they
chose to add afterwards.
vt is so with the United States.
Let notifications of the treaty as it
now stands be exchanged with the
other parties to it, and we are oblig-
ated in accordance with its terms.
It makes no difference what the SEN
ate may think or mean, or what the
resolution of ratification may con-
tain as our Interpretation of its pro-
visions, the fact remains that UNI
less the reservations are written in
to the text of the treaty itself they
will be no more binding than rope
of sand.
"The Hague convention of 1907
was ratified by the senate with a
clause reserving the Monroe Doc
trine from the operation of the trea-
ty. But that reservation had been
written into the undertaking before
the signatures of the American COM
missioners were attached. and thus
was a part of the treaty itself when
it was presented to the senate for
approval. Nothing like that has oc-
Cured in the present instance.
While the president may say that
certain provisions of the treaty
mean so and so. he was careful not
to add his interpretations to the
document hefore his signature and
that of the other American commits
sioners were attached. AS a con-
sequence they are meaningless so far
as they may influence the action of
the league after it is organized. The
only way the senate can safeguard
the interests of the United States is
to put into the treaty itself amend
ments that will not fail to remove
the many menaces to our liberties
that it now contains"