The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-02-20
PLAIN WORDS SPOKEN
IN PRESIDENTS NOTE

That United States Might Have
to Consider Withdrawing Treaty
of Versailles From Senate
Washington, Feb. 1.-THE allied
sueremp council has been Informed by
President Wilson, it was disclosed to-
day, that if the proposed Adriatic
settlement to which the American
government is not party is put into
force the United States might have
to consider withdrawing the treaty of
Versailles from senate consideration.
The presidents communication was
not in the nature of a threat in the
common sense of the term, it was
said, but was merely a statement of
situation in which the United States
might find itself if asked to subscribe
to agreements in which it had no part
and to which it was opposed.
The explanation was made in off,
cial quarters that the league of ma
tions was to be the instrument for
enforcing various agreements as to
boundaries and the like and chat if
the United States became party to
the treaty of Versailles it thus would
be subscribing to the enforcement OF
agreements to which it had not given
either it's approval or consent.
It was explained further, that the
Anglo -French-A treaty and
the treaty of Versailles were consid-
cred inseparable so far as this ques-
ton was concerned and that if situa-
ton arose where the president would
have to consider Withdrawing the lat
ter he also would have to consider
withdrawing the former.
An early announcement at the
White House characterized as an cab
solute falsehood" the statement by
s'Pertinax'' in the Echo de Paris that
President Wilson's communication
contained a postscript bearing
threat to withdraw the treaty from
the senate. This was recognized as
erroneous as soon as it came TO the
attention of other officials. Obviously
it did not come from President Will
son himself as it was later explained
that those who made the statement
had spoken without complete lnfor-
nation.
At first, too, the presidents COM
n1unication was referred to as
memorandum" and was described as
containing only eight or ten lines. 1t
subsequently was disclosed, however,
that the communication finally sent
was in the form of a note and that it
covered two or three pages. This
note, it was explained, was prepared
from memorandum to Secretary
Lansing which the president dictated
and sent to the state department.
The original agreement arrived at
Paris on December 9, was handed to
the Italian foreign minister Decem-
Der IL, and was described by Former
Premier Clemenceau in the French
chamber as a joint agreement BE-
tween Great Britain, France and the
United States.
Early in January, after the Ameri-
can peace delegates had returned
home and the United States was
represented at the meetings by
Ambassador Wallace in the capacity
of an observer, there was meeting
of the supreme council in which
Premier Lloyd George stated that
some notifications had been made in
the original plan of December 9 and
on January Ia it was stated that
Premier Nitti of Italy had accepted
the revised plan.
The agreement then was COM
municated to Jugo-Slavia in the form
of an ultimatum, and while Ambas-
sador Wallace communicated the fact
to the state department, the Ameri-
can government was not consulted
about the changes.
When the negotiations on the
Adriatic question were initiated, it
was said, there was an understand
ing that all matters relating to this
question should be settled through ne
gotiation between the foreign Offices
of all of the powers represented on
the supreme council at Paris.
The American government has not
abandoned it's contention that the
transfer to Italy of the ''boardwalk"
along the Adriatic from Triest to
Fiume and the possession of most of
Istria and Dalmatia would not be ac-
h1n