Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-20

they chose to express IT, linen Wnen
the commission got down to its real
Senator Brandegee: OF the commits
sion?
The President: No, Of two officers
Of the commission. Well. they did
form a committee. but that committee
employed the services of two tech
them, and Mr.. Hurst. not the Mr.
Hurst. that Mr. Miller mentioned.
Senator Brandegee: He gave his in
itials as c. ]. B.
The Pesident: I have forgotten the
initials.
Senator Erandegee: He said he was
an employee of the British state de-
partment.
Made Combined Draft.
The President: Yes, he is a very
able man. He was on the general
drafting committee of the treaty. and
Mr.. Miller took the various documents
that we have been reading and dis
cussing and made a combined draft
was the subject of formal discussion
and amendment and addition by the
committee.
Senator Brandegee: And that was
the combined draft. the one that you
sent to us the other day?
sing was asked for it.
The Chairman: 1t was a composite
draft. 1t came in yesterday.
Senator Brandegee: I beg your par
don. did not know about 1t. Was
there any draft. no matter how in
enumeration or substance for a draft
for the so-called American plan for
the covenant Of the league Of ma
tions which you took with you from
this country and was prepared over
there by you?
The President: Only the one that l
referred to earlier in this conference,
senator. when had taken the File
more report as more or less of a basis
of my work upon it.
Senator Brandegee: That was the
only thing that you had in the nature
of a skeleton draft when you left the
country?
The President: Yes.
Senator Brandegee: Did the Fillemore
draft or report, whatever the proper
term may be. contain anything like
what is now article x of the covenant
of the league.
The President: I do not remember.
Senator Brandegee: You do not re-
whether there was anything
like that in that?
Desired to Show the Way.
The President: Let me say this
in regard to article x. I believe it
is to be a part Of the history Of it.
1t is so far as 1 am concerned. Early
in my administration. as 1 think many
of the members know, l tried to get
the American states, the states OF
Central and South America, to join
with us in an arrangement in which
a phrase like this constituted the
kernel that we guarantee to each
other territorial integrity and politi-
cal independence. Under a republic
can form Of government" was added
in that case. But that is another mat
ter. AS / represented to them at that
time 1t was a desire on my part, at
any rate. to show the way to them of
keeping things steady and preventing
the kind Of aggression we have seen.
The Chairman: That was the sub
ject Of the Niagara conference.
Senator Brandegee: The A. B. C.
powers.
The President: I do not think it
was discussed there. senator. We
discussed 1t automatically.
The Chairman: 1t was taken up at
The President: It was taken up at
that time.
Admits Authorship.
Senator Brandegee: Who was the
author of article x?
The President: I suppose I was as
much as anybody.
Senator Brandegee: And you recon-
mended 1t to your fellow American
The President: Yes.
Senator Brandegee: How many
were on the commission
which framed the covenant for the
league of nations?
The President: Two, Col. House and
myself.
Senator Brandegee: The total
membership was what? Fifteen. was
The President: Fourteen nations.
and Eve principal nations had two
which would make nineteen,
would 1t not? Yes. nineteen members.
Senator Brandegee: Did they have
the unit rule SO to speak, casting one
vote for each member?
instances did we vote at all. I pre-
sided and the final form was this:
''If there are no objections we will re-
gard that as accepted"
Senator Brandegee: As we say in
the Senate. without objection 1t is
agreed to-"
The President: Yes, and that is the
way the whole thing was agreed to.
Senator Brandegee: Did these COM
missions to which the plenary con-
ference delegated certain subjects to
prepare reports upon have any CO.
with each other? Did each
know what the other
were doing?
The President: No, the subjects
were too unlike.
Senator Brandegee: Was there any
debate on the completed draft of the
of the league of nations
when it was submitted to the plenary
just before you came over in
March?
The President: Yes. there were
speeches.
Does Not Call Them Debates.
Senator .Brandegee: I do not call
those debates. I read that there were
no debates as to what each particular
demanded.
Tho President: No. because there
were So many Of those represented
and they had all been canvassed in
the process Of formulation.
Senator Brandegee: You replied to a
Of the Senate requesting a
copy of a letter Of Gen. Tasker H.
Bliss. which was also signed by Sec
rotary Landing
The President: And Mr.. White.
Senator Brandegee: And Mr.. White.
You stated. If recollect. in substance,
that you would be glad to furnish us
with copy Of 1t. but for the fact that
Gen. Bliss had mentioned the names
of certain governments and you
thought 1t was a matter Of delicacy
not to make it public. Would 1t not
be possible to furnish US with the gen.
eral drift Of the arguments. leaving
out the names Of the governments.
and SO forth?
argument. He said fatty that 1t was
unjust It was not reason.
Senator Brandegee: It was an opin-
ion.
The President: An opinion.