Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1920-03-12
WILSON ON TREATY ARTICLE X.

On Monday, the Eth, the Prcsi-
dent sent the following letter to
Senator Hitchcock, leader of the
Democratic forces in the Senate,
for ratification of the treaty. TO
read this admirable letter under
Standingly bear in mind that
Article X is the provision of the
League Covenant which guarantees
the independence and territorial
integrity of League members:
"My Dear Senator Hitchcock:
II understand that one or two of
your colleagues would do me the
honor of desiring to know what
my views are with reference to
Article Ten of the League of
Nations, and the effect upon the
league of the adoption Of certain
proposed reservations to that ar
tcle. ! welcome the opportunity
to throw any light can upon a
subject, which has become so sing
ularly beclouded by misapprehen-
sions and neutrality-suspicious. of
every kind.
There is no escaping the moral
obligations which are expressed in
positive terms in this article of the
covenant. We won moral vict-
DRY over Germany far greater even
than the military victory won on
the field of battle, because the
opinion of the whole world swung
TO Our support and the support OF
the nations associated with us in
the great struggle. 1t did so be-
sause OF our common profession
and promise that we meant to cs-
tabGsh AN organization of peace
which should make IT certain that
the combined power Of free nations
would check every Invasion of
right and serve to make peace and
justice the more secure by affording
definite tribunal of opinion to
which all must submit and by
which every international read
Justment that cannot be amicably
agreed upcn by the people directly
concerned shall be sanctioned
This promise and assurance were
written into the preliminaries of
The armistice and into the prcliini-
narles of the peace itself and con-
stitute one of the most sacred obi
cations ever assumed by any nation
or body of nations. 1t is unthink-
able that America should set the
example Of ignoring such a solemn
engagement.
For myself, | feel that | could
not look the soldiers of our gallant
army i'll the face again if ] did not
DO everything in my power TO re-
move every obstacle that lies i'm the
way of the adoption of this par
ticular article of the covenant, be-
cause we made these pledges to
them as well as to the rest of The
world and ii was to this cause
they deemed themselves devoted
in a spirit of crusaders | should
be forever unfaithful 10 them if
did not do my utmost to fulfill the
nigh purpose for which thew
fought. think, my dear Senator.
we can dismiss from our minds
the idea that it is necessary 10
stipulate in connection with Arti-
Gle \ the constitutional methods
we should use in fulfilling our
obligations under it. We gain
nothing by such stipulations and
secure nothing which is not already
secured. II was understood as n
matter of course, at the conference
III Paris that whatever obligations
any government assumed or what
ever duties ii undertook under
The treaty, would, OF course, have
10 be fulfilled by its usual and cstab-
iiShed constitutional methods of
action. Once or twice in meetings
OF the conference, when The treaty
was undor consideration 'reSer-
vations' were made TO that effect
by the representative Of individual
powers and rosc 'ceScrwltio.