The sun., 1919-08-22
CANNOT PROCLAIM
PEACE, WILSON SAYS
To Do So Without Ratification
Would Put Stain on Ma
tional Honor.
ANSWERS FALL QUERIES
Doesn't Know Whether Neu-
trails Will Enter League
Before Germany.
Special Despatch to TIE Sun.

Special Despatch to THE Sun.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21.-President Will
| son sent to Senator Fall IN NJ to-day
his answer to the twenty questions
which the Senator submitted to him at
the White House conference on Tues
day. They were handed to the President
| In writing and he promised Immediately
tn forward answers to them as soon as
possible.
The questions dealt with the problem
OF whether the President by proclama-
| ton can end the state of war. and by
executive acts can open the way to com,
| mercial relations with the late enemy
belligerents. without waiting for ratifi-
cation of the treaty; whether States
neutral in the war are going to become
members of the League of Nations be-
fore Germany is admitted, and to other
matters related to the treaty provisions
and their execution.
The President insists in his answers
that he has not power to restore peace
by proclamation, and expresses the opin-
| ion that to do so would place stain
on the national honor by abandoning
our associates in the war in the settle
ment of the terms of peace.
Fall to Reply on Floor.
Senator Fall would not comment to-
day on the reply of the President, which
| he wanted to study and to which he
said he would doubtless reply in few
days from the floor of the Senate. He
permitted II to be understood that he
ldld not find the Presidents answers
adequate, particularly as to the present
status of commercial relations with
Germany.
The shipping companies are advertis-
ing that they will receive careoes direct
for Hamburg and other purely German
ports" he said, land l want to know il
| clearing them for those destinations"
| The Presidents answers to the Fall
questions follow:
| You left yesterday in my hands GER
tain written questions which l promised
you l would answer. l am Fastening to
| fulfil that promise.
| Il feel constrained to say in reply to
| your first question not only that in my
| judgment have not the power by proc
| lamation to declare that peace exists,
| but that ] could in no circumstances con-
| sent to take such course prior to the
ratification Of a formal treaty of peace.
l feel it due to perfect frankness to say
| that 1t would I'm my opinion put a stain
upon our national honor which we never
| could efface II after sending our men to
| the battlefield to fight the common cause
| we should abandon our associates in the
! war in the settlement Of the terms of
| peace and dissociate ourselves from all
| responsibility with regard to those terms.
| Il respectfully suggest that. having
| said this, l have in effect answered also
your second. third and fourth questions.
so far as l myself am concerned.
Permit me to answer your Attn ques-
| ton by saying that the provisions of the
| treaty to which you refer operate merely
| to establish peace between the Powers
rstifying. and that 1t is questionab BILE
| whether II can be said that the League
of Nations is in any true sense created
by the association OF only three OF the
| allied and associated Governments.
I'm reply to your sixth question can
only express the confident opinion that
the immediate adoption OF the treaty,
| along with the articles of the covenant
= OF the league as written would certainly
| within the near future reduce the cost
OF living in this country as elsewhere by
restoring production and commerce to
their normal strength and freedom.
For your convenience | will number
the remaining paragraphs of this let
| ter as the questions to which they are
intended to reply are numbered.
No OmciaI Information.
"Seven-I have no official information
as to whether Norway. Sweden, Dem
mark. Holland or Switzerland will join
the league.
Eight answered your eighth ques-
ton in reply to question asked me at
our conference the other day. (This
| question referred to licensing of exports
to Germany
"Nlne-In February. 1917, Spain was
requested to take charge OF American
interests in Germany through her diplo-
! matte and consular representatives, and
no other arrangement has since been
made.
"Ten-The committee to prepare plans
for the organization OF the league, for
the establishment of the seat of the
league. and for the proceedings OF the
first meeting of the assembly. has been
appointed. but has not reported
"Eleven-Article IFS OF the pea e
treaty part ", under which Germany
renounces all her rights to territory for
merly belonging to herself or to her
allies was understood. 50 far as special
nroyision was not made in the treaty
itself for it's disposition, as constituting
the principal allied and associated Pow
ers the authority by which such disposl-
ton should ultimately be determined II
| conveys no title 10 those POWERS, pu'
merely entrusts the disposition Of tho
territory in question to their decision.
Twelve-Germany' reconciliation in
favor of the principle allied and asso
cieted Powers OF her rights and titles
to her overseas possessions Is meant
similarly TO operate as vesting in those
Powers a ,rusteeship with respect OF
their final disposition and government.
! "Thirteen-Therc has been provts'
ional agreement as to the disposition OF
these overseas possessions whose CON
hrmation and execution is dependent
uron the approval of the League OF Ma
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ID t. !