The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-03-10
THEfREsIpENT,s LETTER.


In no prcVous discussion OF tho peace treaty
has the president exprossed himself clearly
a In his lstter to Senator Hitchcock the Sth
instant His frankness In unusual his fail
ure to Indulge In subtci fuge In amazing. Be-
yond all question tho communication does much
to stand before the people the covenant In all
Its hideous nakedness Tho vital provisions Of
the document arc swept from the field OF con
troversy by the frank admissions OF its chief
author and advocate
There can no longer be controversy concern
ing the meaning OF Article X, for tho president
himself says:
We can dismiss from our minds tho idea
that 1t IL necessary to stipuiatc In connec-
ton with Article Y. the constitutional meth
DDS we should use In fulfilling our obliga-
uons under II. We gain nothing by such
stipulations and secure nothing that In not
already secured. 1t was Understood
matter of course at the conference In Paris
that whatever obligations any government
assumed whatever duty II undertook
under tho treaty. would OF course have to
be fulfilled by its usual and established con
stitutional methods of action.
This remarkably frank utterance should he
thoroughly understood. Here the president Ia
saying to the senate that no reservation It can
make concerning Article y. short OF absolute
notification will be protective II tho
covenant be finally accepted For the moral
ance will carry with IT the obligation to actually
put in motion at tho right tmo all constitutional
forms and processes necessary to carry out n
league decision. What he argues for II the
doctrine that because the representatives OF this
government at Paris subscribed to this docu-
ment the country is honor bound TO accept 1t
regardless. His former doctrine concerning tho
force of moral obligations is amplifiod and, In
addition. the doctrine of implied obligations In.
troduced. Certainly nothing will have bcen
gained by the adoption OF reservation reserv-
ing TO this government the right OF congress to
determine, etc. II there remains a supreme
moral obligation. implied or otherwise. for CON
gress to determine and act according 10 the
decision OF the league counsel.
From such doctrine to the presidents con
ciusion. that
Either we should enter tho league fear
lcssly accepting the responsibility and not
fearing the role OF leadership which we now
enjoy, contributing our efforts towards
establishing a just and permanent peace or
We should retire as gracefully as possible
from the great concert of powers by which
the world saved
ono turns with Indispensable relief Not only
because there Is way to avoid the utterly i'm
possible and grief-broeding association urged
in the name Of peace, not only because the
alternative is pleasing and possible, hut because
the president here, for the first time, publicly
recognizes that there is indeed two sides to tho
matter; that this country does possess the right
and faces the opportunity to elect which OF two
courses 1t will pursue.
And this Is most distinctly something
The reference to the things We fought for -
to the new order" to the return to the old
order" to my inability to look our soldiers in
the face IL we fail to do everything in our
power to secure the adoption Of this particular
article Of the covenant because We made these
pledges to them"-all restate old sophstrcs
with which the country is entirely familiar and
constitute nothing moro than brilliant eN
ample OF the ability Of the writer to string word'
together in glowing sentences incapable o
standing either the test OF accuracy or law o
logic.
In sun insisting that the men who wore thotl
= count,ys uniform demand the covenant th'