The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-14
NO CHANCE THAT BAN ON
LIQUOR WILL Be RAISED
DECENTRALIZATION A LONG
PROCESS, SAYS WILSON.
First Full and Frank Talk
With Newspaper Men
Since 1917.


Washington, July H.-President Will
son has turned over a new leaf For
, the first time since May, 1917, he saw
the Washington correspondents the
other day and talked fully and frankly
about pending questions. For more
than an hour he discussed the peace
treaty and league of nations. and while
some of his remarks indicate that he
has not finally made up his mind on a
numper OF things, nevertheless he is
definite and positive In his expectation
that the senate will ratify the treaty
without Objectionable reservations.
Mr.. Wilson gave the impression that
he would stand for any reservations
and rather not 'emphatically took issue
with those who have been saving 1t
takes only majority vote of the sem
ate to amend the ratifying resolution.
He may or may not be right about
this. Senator Lodge, republican, chair
man of the foreign relations commit
tee, can present a convincing argu-
ment exactly to the contrary.
In Nutshen.
In nutshell the sum total of the
presidents outlying or news amounts
to this:
First-There isn't a chance that the
han on liquor will be raised between
now and Jan. /, when the constitu-
tionai amendment on prohibition goes
into effect. Mr.. Wilson spoke of the
rehabilitation process as a long one
and as dependent upon Germany's part
in carrying out certain military pro-
visions of the treaty. II looked as If
Mr.. Wilson himself hadn't much hope
that this would be done early.
Second, the president made It quite
clear that he didn't intend to hold as
a club over the heads of the senate
the trading with the enemy act He
admitted that 1t would technically re-
main in force, but that the discretion
vested in the executive would be ex-
ercised in favor of the immediate re-
sumption Of trade with the central
powers. Mr. Wilson'S decision is
based on an anxiety to have the Ger
mans begin earning money to pay the
enormous reparations for which the
treaty provides
Third-The president upset one sup
position which has been general in this
country. namely that the league of
nations bound the United States to go
to war without action of congress.
Mr.. Wilson emphasized that nothing
in the treaty or league would bind us
to act If congress did not wish to do
so. All the executive would do would
be to recommend action, but congress
would exercise its constitutional func-
ton to agree or disagree with the ex-
ecutive.
Fourth-The president thought the
French would be cut to the heart if
America failed to ratify the defensive
agreement. He told the correspond
ents not to call 1t an alliance. He be-
leved 1t was not an alliance. His ex-
PLANTATION was that it merely hridged
the gap between the present and the
time when the league would he in op-
eration--a pledge to help France in
the immediate future If Germany mis-
behaved again.
Fifth-Mr. Wilson spoke of the
league of nations as a formula which
would be followed in the treaties with
Bulgaria and Austria and Turkey as
means Of enforcing those pacts.
Again. he brought out that the league
of nations was closely interviewer in
the whole fabric of preserving the
peace that had been written. He did
not hesitate to make clear that while
the United States had not been at war
with Bulgaria and Turkey, RESPONSE
hilities would develop upon us through
the league of nations to make the
United States p party to the arrange
and Bulgaria.
His Hearers Surprised.
SiNth.The president rather sur
prised his hearers . by his insistence
that 1t would take a two thirds and
not majority vote to ratify the peace
treaty, Men on Capitol hill have been
saying the opposite Senator Lodge
has said that when the debate began
on the text or phraseology of the rati-
fying resolution amendments would be
offered, such as perhaps provision
to eliminate Article X of the league
covenant. Mr.. Lodge thinks major
ity vote would put such an amend
ment into the ratifying resolution so
that when it came to voting on the
whole thing the democrats would he
obliged to vote for it as written or he
responsible for delaying ratification
Mr.. Wilson thinks presumably that the
democrats by threatening to withhold
enough votes would make 1t clear that
no ratifying resolution containing OBJ
jectionable amendments would he
adopted so that an agreement by two
thirds on the text of the resolution
would in the end be necessary. M
Wilson made IT. very clear, too. that
tho reservations would have to he ac-
ceptahle TO the allies. and the plain in
ference of his remarks was that If
matters got into a tangle he would |
submit the amendments to the foreign
governments and the responsibility for
the delay incident to such a negotia-
ton would fall upon those who were |
seeking to amend But AS the inter-
view closed the president smilfnEly !
reiterated his oonfiderCe that the SEN
ate would ratify. He hasn't n hit of |
doubt on the suhject-or at least he |
doesn't show any.