The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-28

The French Oficlal Version. Different
From the Translation.

To THE NEW YORK HERALD: In d.
Charles W. Eliot's address of October
10 to Harvard students he is quoted as
referring to "fhe truth about Article X"
end what he terms the all important
second sentence by which the Council
shall advise" upon the means. Secre-
tary Newton ~. Baker says that Arti-
Gle VIII. charges the Council to lad
yise'' how the evils of the private manu-
facture OF munitions OF war can be pre-
vented. Our esteemed visitor the Gov
erner OF Ohio gleefully disinters Hitch
cocks reservation OF last November,
which ignored the tremendous obligation
of Article X. and sought TO interpret
mythical word advice" which did not
appear in that article. Governor Cox
says that he and the American people
know the meaning of words.
Now, the New York Times said edi-
torially on October . that the word
advise" in Article X. means deliberate,
consider, take counsel" On October el
it published letter dated October 4
from Arthur de Bles. Major, British
army, officer Construction publique, say
ing in pa =:
It Is admitted that the translation into
English of the French text Of the Cow
cnant Is very inaccurate, and the trans
lation of the word "avisera'' as "will
advise" is incredibly stupid.
Now, the official French version of
Article VIII. says "avise aux measures"
that Is, determines the measures, and
that of Article X. "avise aux moyens."
that Is. determines the means. In Ar
ticles TX. Kill, XVI, XIX, XIII. and
NV. 1t is careful TO say ''gives its
opinion" proposes" recommends" Gin
vites reconsideration" gives it's adyis-
DRY opinions" using the proper legal
phrase In each instance Only in Arti-
cles VIII. and X, involving ornaments
and the choice OF means to crush armed
aggression. does it use the word that
implies supreme authority.
"Avise aux ~moyens" or "avise aux
mesu-es' in French means 'see to,
choose, plan, contrive, determine the
means or measures: it never means to
give advice.
The Spencer Wilson controversy
showed that the official minutes or pro-
ces-verbaux Of the Peace Conference were
kept in French only. Does not Major
de Bless letter indicate that In the eyes
Of Europeans the only official version
of the European treaty of peace was
that written In French, the only Ian
guage familiar to all the diplomats OF
the world-except of course our own
delegates to Versailles? The English
version was only a translation Of the
original. made in great haste for SUBJ
mission to America. From this haste
arose the many inaccuracies and the
discrepancies in Articles VIII, X, XXI.
XIII. and elsewhere.
! To summarize, the merger or trust
deed. whereby American sovereignty is
conveyed in perpetuum to a European
voting trust. is written most carefully ant
without possible ambiguity in a foreign
language, with which our Government
| Is not familiar, and our version which
we are invited to ratify is an incom'
petent and bungled translation.
Those who claim that Mr.. Wilson was
the author of Article y. and therefore
knows exactly what 1t means should
read his own original draft. which l!
given in full on pages 151 and 152 o.
| II. Wilson Harrss book THE Peace
in the Making" The last sentence
reads: THE contracting Powers accep
without reservation the principle tina
the peace of the world is superior II
Importance to every question of politica
Jurisdiction or boundary" This would
have condemned the action of Serbia
Belgium and France in resisting inva
sion. 1t was therefore rejected, and TIL
French proposed the present French yer
sion of Article X, which was accepted.
NEW YORK, October %. A. NJ. e.