Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-02-05

Senator Hitchcock in announcing the
negotiations were at an end
I'VE presented the Taft reservation on
article ten as our proposition. There was
some conversation as to its exact mean
ing We urged them to accept it, or to
take a few days to decide. But Senator
Lodge said definitely he could not accept
it,
We then asked them IL they had any
counter proposal or would make one. Mr..
Lodge said he could moi make any
counter proposal ] suggested that we try
to agree on way for taking up the
treaty in the Senate, but Senator Lodge
did not want a meeting on that subject.
SO we are going to proceed to call 1t
up
10 THIS senator Lodge had nothing to
add. nor would he indicate what his at
ti;ude would be on motion to bring the
treaty before the Senate. In his state
ment reviewing the accomplishments Of
the committee. however, he set forth at
, length his reasons for refusing to COM
promise on article ten and the Monroe
| Doctrine.
| 'Spea king for myself alone" said the
| statement, ~ have only this to say. that
was unable TO agree to any change in
reservations two and five dealing with
article ten and the Monroe Doctrine In
my opinion. reservation No. .. which pro-
: vides that we shall assume no obligation
OF any kind under article ten except the
one mentioned in the treaty. that we
should ourselves respect the bounda ries
| or other nations, cannot possibly per-
nit of change.
me change proposed in reservation
No. . III regard to the Monroe Doctrine
was an absolutely vital one because IL was
asserted as an official Interpretation by
the representatives, of Great Britain that
! the Monroe Doctrine under the treaty was
to be interpreted by the league To this
/ | for one could never assent and in view
| of the statement made in Paris by the
British delegation. to which | have re-
/ ferrcd. l regard the line which il was
| proposed to strike out as absolutely ne
cessary.
| The United States has always inter
| preted the Monroe doctrine alone 1t is
our policy. No one else has ever at
tempted TO interpret ii and it is some
thing in my judgment which ought
never to be permitted even by the
most remote implication. If we should
strike out that phrase now after il
| mad been accepted by the Senate it
! would lead to a direct inference that
we left that question open. The right to
interpret the Monroe doctrine. pertain
/ ing to he Unied States alone must
! never be open to question
| The proposed change referred to by
| the senator was a suggestion by the
| democrats TO strike out of the repub-
! lican reservation the words. said doe
! trine is to be interpreted by the United
| States alone"
On the question of bringing the
III int
| that sentiment was in an indecisiy I
state There have been some indca
tons that there might not be undivid-
, ed democratic support for the move
but some of the mild reservation repub
| leans and some senators of the ire
concilable group have looked with IA
vor upon it. Senator Hitchcock said
| he did not know whether n majority
favored it but believed such was the
| case. He added he would confer with
| various democrats and republicans be-
fore he made his motion.