Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-02-13

Believed in Washington That
Treaty Breach Is Closing.
ACRES TO HITCHCOCK PLAN
Sends Letter to Democratic Leader So
Phrased That the Senators Ask to
Have 1t Read Second
Time.

PreSIQenL wilson renewing MS ODJec-
ton to some features of the peace
treaty reservations framed by the Re-
publican majority of the senate fur
nished the basis of an earnest discus
sion in a conference of Democratic
senators.
The president made known his views
in a message to Senator Hitchcock,
Democratic leader in the senate. The
letter was read TO the conference of
Democratic senators to riscuss the
treaty situation.
1t was so phrased that the senators
asked to have it read a second time
in order that they might understand
it better The statement follows:
Letter From President.
my Dear Senator Hitchcock
II have greatly appreciated your
thoughtful kindness in keeping me in
formed concerning the conferences
you and some of your colleagues have
had with spokesman of the Republican
party concerning the possibility of
ratification Of the treaty of peace, and
send this line in special appreciatiye
acknowledgment of your letter of the
22nd. return the clipping you were
kind enough TO inelose.
ITO the substance of it L of course,
adhere / am bound to. Like your
self / am solemnly sworn to obey and
maintain the Constitution of these
United States.
But ] think the form of it very
unfortunate. Any reservation or reso-
luton stating that the United States
assumes no obligation under such and
such an article unless or except
would, / am sure, chill our relation
ship with the nations with which we
expect to be associated in the great
enterprise of maintaining the worlds
peace.
THAT association must, in any case,
my dear senator involve very serious
and far-reaching implications of honor
and duty. which, / am sure, We shall
never, in fact be DESTROYS of ignoring.
1t is the more important not TO create
the impression that we are trying to
escape obligations.
he Accepts RESERVATIONS
'But / realize that negative criticism
is not all that is called for in so seri-
obs matter. l am happy to be able
to add, therefore, that i have once
more gone over the reservations pro-
posed by Yourself, the copy of which
/ return herewith, and am glad to say
that / can accent them as they stand.
81 have never seen the slightest
reason to doubt the good faith of our
associates in the war. nor ever had
The slightest reason to fear that any
nation would eek to enlarge our OBJ
legations under the covenant of the
League of Nations. or seek to commit
us to lines Of action which, under our
Constitution, only the congress of the
United States can. in the last analysis,
decide.
MAY / suggest that with regard to
the possible withdrawal of the United
States, it would be wise to give to the
president the right TO act upon our
resolution Of congress in the matter
of withdrawal? In other words, it
would seem TO be permissible and adj
visabIe that any resolution giving nc.
tice of withdrawal should be a joint
rather than a concurrent resolutioIl
Holds Veto Right Essential.
81 doubt whether the president can
be deprived of his veto power under
the Constitution, even with his own
consent. The use of a joint resolution
course, charged by the Constitution
with the conduct of foreign policy, to
merely exercise voice in saving
whether so important a step as with
drawal from the League of Nations
should be accomplished by majority
or by a two-thirds vote.
''The Constitution itself, providing
that the legislative body was to be
consulted in treaty-making and having
prescribed a two-thirds vote in such
cases. it seems to me that there
should be no unnecessary departure
from the method there indicated.
81 see no objection to a frank state
ment that the United States can ac-
cept a mandate with regard to any
territory .u1OeT AELlCl0 NIL IDdfI l.,
or any other provision of the treaty
of peace, only by the direct authority
and action of the congress of the Unit
States.
Il hope my dear senator that you
will never hesitate TO call upon me
for any assistance that | can render
in this or any other public matter.
Cordially and sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON"
The Proposed Compromise
The clipping referred to in the let
tiers was the following proposed COM
promise reservation on Article X:
"The United States assumes no OBJ
legation TO employ its military or
naval forces or the ecenomis boycott
to preserve the territorial integrity or
political independence of any other
country under the provisions of arti-
Gle X or to employ the military or
BeIeium's Debt Before War.
Before the war the per capita
debt of Belgium was estimated at T.