New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-25
President Urges Accept
ance of Allied Invitation
to Insure Freedom Of
the Suffering People
Strong Opposition
In Both Houses
Sentiment in Capital Is
That MIR. Wilson Seeks
to Shift Responsibility
By Carter Field

BY Carter Field
From, The Tribuncs Washington Bureax
WASHINGTON, May 24.-Presi.
dent Wilson to-day urged upon Con-
gress the acceptance by the United
States of mandate over Armenia.
In special message, which was read
ir both houses, Mr.. Wilson said th&t
although the choice was critical, he
believed he was acting in accordance
with the wishes Of the American peo-
pie in seeking authority to take
the mandate.
The President said he had felt it
his duty to accept the invitation ex-
tended to him by the Allied Premiers
at San Reno to delimit the frontiers
of Armenia.
Faces Strong Opposition
A canvass of members of both
houses of Congress Immediately af-
ter the reading Of the message dis
closed that the President is faced
with an opposition more unanimous
than he has encountered on any issue
that he has taken to Capitol Hill
since he entered the White House.
Even high officials of the Administra-
tlon appeared to have little hope that
the proposal would be accepted The
impression prevailed generally that. in
putting the question up to Congress,
the President SIMPLY desired to shift
! the responsibility of a decision to Con-
gress, and at the same time avoid
further pressure on the White House
by religious denominations favoriac
the undertaking.
In submitting the proposal the
PRESIDENT refers to acceptance of the
mandate as high Christian duty de-
volving upon the United States, and a.
the outset recalls that as late as Nav
IA the Senate adopted a resolution ex-
pressing the hope that stable govern
ment, proper protection Of individual
| liberties and rights and the full real
lzation of nationalistic aspirations NAV
soon be attained by the Armenian peo-
ple'
This same resolution urged him to
send battleship to Batum to protect
Ameican lives there. To this sug-
gestlon he makes no direct reference in
MS message.
Senators See Immediate Conflict
Among the Presidents advisers it is
declared that as the United States is
not member of the league of nations
this country would be answerable to
the league for its conduct of the man
GATE only IN the ultimate results and
would have the right to dictate to the
other powers, in the drawing up of 4
mandate protocol, the terms upon which
it would undertake the task
In addition to the cost in money and
military forces which acceptance of the
mandate would involve, it is pointed
out by Senators that the undertaking
would involve the United States in i'm
mediate conflict, in all probability. not
only with the Turks now warring on
the Armenians, but with the Bolshevik
forces now in control of Russian Ar
menia and at present engaged in fight
! ing the Armenians
After the defeat of General Denikire,
leader of the anti Bolshevik forces in
the Caucasus, the Russians swept
down into Russian Armenia to effect
junction with the Turkish Nationalist
forces in joint campaign against the
British in Persia.
Bolshevik Forces Active
The Soviet forces were reported.
May 20, by Colonel William M. Haskell.
Allied High Commissioner in Armenia
in advices to the State Department. to
be in full control of Alexandropol, the
principal railroad center in Russian
Armenia, and to be fighting with
Armenian troops from the Armenian
the new Republic of Azerbaijan, which
had been recognized by the Allied
powers last January at the same time
that Armenia and the Republic of
Georgia were recognized, has declared
war on Armenia, and Colonel Haskell
reported that the Armenian residents
OF Baku were in peril Subsequently
the Reds captured the ships of the
Russian white" fleet in the Caspian
Sea and drove the British from Enzeli.
a Russian port at the lower end of the
| Caspian, the British falling back into
| Persia.
Large L. S. Force Required
Before these organized attacks on
the Armenians were begun it was es-
tlmated by Major General James G.
Harbord, head of commission sent
to Armenia to gather data upon which
to base an American policy respecting
the Armenian mandate, that the task
would involve the sending to Armenia,
OF minimum force of two divisions.
or $4,000 officers and men, other esti-
mates running up to a force of 200. 000
1t would take, the commission esti-
mated, at least five years to put the
country in order under the conditions
then existing, and that it would be
generation before the United States
could completely withdraw
The cost of the initial five-year pc
rod OF administration and pacifcation
was estimated at S756, 100000, the ex-
nense Of the first year being S275, ,O00,-
600 and decreasing to $657500 900 in
the fifth year, as the ability of the
Armenian government increased. The
maintenance of the American military
force alone, the first year was put at
SIS, 100000.
sss,5oo.ooo for Troops
Owing to the multiplicity of the
conflicting interests" involved. the
COMMISSION insisted that the United
States, before accepting mandate,
should make its own conditions. backed
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