Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-22
ROOT ANSWERSCOX
BY SHARP REPROOF
Democrats Promise on Article X
Amounts to Absolutely Moth
ing" He Declares
SEES ACCORD WITH WILSON

New York, Oct. 22.--Elihu Root last
night made public the following tele-
gram to Governor Cox replying to his
request to correct" an alleged false
statement in Mr.. Roots New York
address Tuesday regarding the COVER
nor's position upon the League Of Ma
tons:
II have today received your tele-
gram dated yesterday would not
willingly do you injustice, and I do
not think / have. You began your
campaign by an interview with the
President and an authoritative state
ment that you and he were in complete
accord upon the League Of Nations.
II cannot be mistaken about his
position. Throughout the long struggle
in the Senate he steadfastly refused to
give his assent to any reservation which
substantially changed the covenant as
he brought 1t back. He certainly has
not changed. His very recent utter
anccs show that.
Sees No Change in Attitude
"If you have changed from that COM
plete accord with him, have not heard
of it: Such a change Is not indicated
Ds tuC NubuC anu ktutTbI eXDTeSSlOnd
Of your telegram saying that you will
accept reservations that will clarity.
that will be helpful, that will reassure
the American people, that you would
sit down with the members Of the SEN
ate, that you would confer with Mr..
Wilson, Mr.. Taft and myself. and all
others who have a sincere purpose, etc.
because you are the one who would de
termine what was helpful, what would
reassure the American people, what ad-
vice you would follow, and you are
solemnly publicly pledged to an agree
ment with Mr.. Wilson concerning the
There Is one statement Of your teie-
gram that does give a definite idea OF
where you stand upon what Mr.. Wilson
declares to be the heart Of the league
the general alliance Of Article X by
which the United States would under
take to guarantee, as against external
aggression, the territory and independ-
ence Of every member of the league and
to make that guarantee good by war II
necessary. You say in your telegram
that you will accept reservations that
the league that Congress and Congress
alone has the right to declare war; and
that our constitution sets up limits in
legislation or treaty making beyond
which we cannot CO.
Stating Established Facts
"That, it seems, Is what you are
willing to do about Article X. Well, II
is absolutely nothing. Everybody knows
already that only Congress has right
to declare war, and that there are limits
TO legislation and treaty making power.
All governments Of all civilized nations
know it. You accomplish nothing by
telling them Of it again. The trouble
about giving the guarantee provided in
Article X IL that the making Of treaty
containing it is a solemn assurance to
all the nations that it is within the
treaty making power. and that the
promise to make war binds Congress as
fully as it binds all other members Of
our government to maintain the plighted
faith of the United States. ......
IAN analogous case Is the power OF
Congress to appropriate money. There
is no other power in our governmsrs
to do that; but. IL the United States
makes a treaty agreeing to pay 81 ,000,-
600 to another country, would any one
saw that the obligation could be can
cejled by a refusal Of Congress to ap-
propriate the money. Certainly not
the only effect would be that the United
States would have broken faith. The
real question is whether we shall enter
into a guarantee under which the faith
of treaties will require Congress to
pass a resolution declaring war. That
Is what the President proposed. That
is what your telegram makes 1t clear
you propose.
"On the same day when you sent the
telegram, according to the press re-