New-York tribune., 1920-10-20

national labor organization. Another
provided for the administration Of gov
eminent in backward states by manda-
tories until the inhabitants should be
ready to maintain orderly government
them selves.
There also was provision stand
ing by itself quite outside of the gem
eral scheme of the league for the pres
ervation of peace, and forming no part
of that scheme, but creating indepen-
IDENTIFY of it a hard and fast alliance
between the members of the league to
preserve in perpetuity the territorial
and political status quo as 1T was de-
termined upon by the conference at
Paris, and included in the treaty signed
in June, 1919. 1t was in the following
words, Article x:
The members Of the league un-
dertake to respect and preserve as
against external aggression the ter
ritorial integrity and existing po-
litical independence of all members
of the league. In case of any such
aggression or in case of any threat
or danger of such aggression, the
council shall advise upon the means
by which this obligation shall be
fulfilled
1T will be perceived that this obli-
cation had nothing to do with any
delay or investigation or report or
recommendation, or with the public
opinion of the world at the time Of the
future controversy. 1t was an indc-
pendent obligation upon each member
OF the league to enforce for all future
time the decisions of the conference of
1919, which was then parceling out
nf
among various peoples, and it was
without regard to whether those de-
cisions should prove to have been right
or wrong.
Negotiated in Unusual Way
"When this treaty came before the
Senate for it's advice and consent to
ratification, serious objections were
raised both in and out of the Senate.
Because of the peculiar way in which
the treaty was negotiated, it would
have been strange if there had not
been objections. Ordinarily, treaties
are negotiated by ambassadors or min
listers, or specially appointed pleni-
potentlarles, and their work is super
vised by the Secretary of State and
the President at home, who looking on
from outside the conference chamber
have the opportunity of Independent
Judgment and mature reflection free
from the prepossessions and pressure
OF the actual negotiation. This is of
the greatest Importance in any COM
plicated negotiation. This treaty, how
ever, was negotiated by the President
himself, and the first responsible in
dependent judgment of nature to cor
rect the mistakes to which every ne
gotiator is subject came when the
treaty reached the Senate.
THE principal objections may be
roughly classified as follows:
"First-Objections to the general de-
fensive alliance with all members of
the league established by Article X
"Second-Objections to submitting to
the council of the league questions of
purely American policy, such as the
migration, upon which the European
countries, approaching the subject
from an entirely different point of
view and with opposing or different
interests, would almost necessarily
differ from the American policy.
"Third-That the scheme practically
thrust aside the whole system of de-
velopment Of international law and of
arbitral decision which had been the
settled policy of the United States for
many generations, and depended fo1
the treatment of questions of right as
we'll as questions of policy upon the
council, which would be composed not
of judges but of diplomatic repre-.
sentatives of the powers.
Created Il er-Government
"Fourth-That the scheme created &
super government which would de-
stroy the independence Of the United
States.
"Fifth-That the working of the
plan under the covenant was not sc
arranged as to articulate with the
constitutional government of the
United States; that under it the Presi.
dent alone could practically carry or
the entire fore gn affairs of the United
States by agents of his own selectior
to the practical exclusion of the popu
lar branch of our government.
while these objections were bcine
developed there was strong popula,
pressure for action. The fact that the
peace with Germany, which was not
a party to the covenant, made it ap
parently impossible to have peac,
without accepting the covenant. Europe
was i'll a desperate condition and i
was the common understanding that she
could not restore her industry ant
peaceful life without the aid of Amer
lca through Americas accepting tht
covenant and becoming member 0.
the league. Accordingly, to avoid III,
delay of renegotiating the treaty il
order to meet its objections. the Sen
ate adopted the policy of meeting tht
objections by series of reservations
and the majority of the Senate votet
to consent to ratification of the treat,
with these reservations. 1t was vel
understood then and is we'll undcrstco
now that the other parties to the treat,
would have been content to acccp
those reservations, and, if Mr.. Wilsol
had been willing, the treaty would hav.
been ratified and America would hav
been a member of the league MI
Wilson. however, was not willing. H
insisted upon the treaty absolutely un
changed, and sufficient number o