Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-03-09
WILSON YIELDS
ONLY SLIGHTLY
ABOUT CHANGES
IN PEACE PACT
Is Opposed to Any Reserva-
tionS Which Would Weak
en- Article Ten or Impair
Provisions of Covenant.
AN ORGANIZATION OF
PEACE is NECESSARY
Chief Executive Says We
Should Keep Our Pledge
To Soldiers Who Fought
To Make the World Safe.

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wiREl
Washington, March S.-President
Wilson re-stated for democratic
senators today his opposition to
any peace treaty reservations which
would weaken the full force of ar
t!cle ten or materially impair pro-
visions of the league covenant.
without saying specifically what
qualification he would or would
rot accept, he wrote to Senator
Hitchcock, administration leader,
that almost all reservations he had
heard suggested were in erect
Virtual notifications" of the treaty
articles to which they applied,
Il hear of reservationists and
mild reservationists," the letter
added. but l cannot understand
the difference between a nullltler
and a mild nullifier."
Discussing article ten, the presi-
cent wrote that there was no
escaping the moral obligations eX-
pressed in positive terms In thls
article" though there could be no
objection to explaining in an IN
terpretation the \ constitutional
methods by which such an obliga-
zion would have to be fulfilled. Inc
.very heart" of the covenant. ne
reiterated. would be imperilled by
weakening article ten.
The letter, written in response 10
n request that he confer with SEN
stop Simmons of North Carolina, III
charge for the democratic side OF
she senate in current negotiations
FOR n compromise follows:
The Presidents Letter.
"NIv Dear Senator Hitchcock:
81 understand one or two of your
colleagues do me the honor OF de-
string to know what my views are
with reference to article ten or the
league of nations and the eItecl
,Inon the league of the adoption OF
certain proposed reservations to
that article. l welcome the oppor-
tunitv to throw any light | can
unon a subject which has become
SO singularly beclouded by msap-
urehensions and neutrality-suspicious.
CT every kind.
"There is no escaping the moral
rJ1igations which are expressed IN
rositiye terms in this article or the
covenant. We won a moral victory
over Germany far greater even
than the military victory won on
the field of battle. because the op-
iuion of the world swung TO our
support and the support OF the ma
tions associated with us in the
great struggle. 1t did so because of
our common profession and prom
ise that we meant to estaDllsn an
organization of peace which should
make it certain that the comolned
mower of free nations would checK
every invasion of right and serve to
make peace and justice the more
secure by affordlng definite trlp-
rnal of opinion to which all must
submit and by which every interna-
tional reimbursement that cannot be
pmicably agreed upon by the peo-
n,es directly concerned shall be
sanctioned" This promise and as
srrance were written into the pre-
liminaries of the armlstice and into
the preliminaries of the peace it
self and constitute one OF the most
sacred obligations ever assumed by
any nation or body on nations. ~
is unthinkable that America should
set the example of ignoring such a
solemn moral engagement.
Our Duty TO Soldiers.
81 feel that l could not look the
soldiers of our gallant armies in the
face again if l did not do every
thing in my power to remove
every obstacle in the way of the
adoption of this particular article
CT the covenant because We mace
these pledges to them as well as to
the rest of the world and it was to
this cause they deemed themselves
devoted in a spirit of crusaders. l
should be forever unfaithful to
them If l did not do my utmost to
fulfill the high purpose for which
they fought.
II think we can dismiss from our
minds the idea that it is necessary
to stipulate in connection with ar
ticle ten the constitutional meth
ods we should use in fulfilling our