The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1920-01-20


isfacory to the great majority Representatives Of or
carnations claiming membership Of 900 Americans
called upon Senate leaders last Tuesday urging medi-
ate ratification with reservations necessary to secure the
constitutional majority. Numerous commercial bodies
the leading cities have adopted strong resolutions de-
mandng compromise, and many other organizations
partsa in character but wholly American are acting to
the same end.
Senator Lodge and Senator Hitchcock both agree, it
said that concessions must be made and that have
doubt is the feeling Of than two-hirds OF the
Senate 1t that the difficulty is agreement
reservation to article TO- And yet ought not to be
difficult if all personal and party considerations and pre-
JUDGES could be abandoned and the matter approached
with singeness of purpose for the countys good The
Lodge reservation being itself the result of compromise
within the majority party and having received the sup
port of the majority would to offer the logical basis
for the composition of the differences between the two
parties That reservatin reads follows
The United States assumes obligation to pre-.
serve the territorial integrity political indepen-
dence Of any other country interfere in contro
versies between natons-whether members Of the
HOt-uHueT
to employ the military naval forces Of the United
States under any article of the treaty for any pur
poses, unless in any particular the Congress,
which, under the constitution, has the sole over to
declare war authorize the employment Of the mil
ary and naval forces of the United States shall by
act or joint resolution SO provide.
This is not denial Of all obligation under article TO-
L
to Congress the right to decide for ITSELF when
ever the article invoked whether in the particular case
obligation exists and to act in accordance with that
decision in harmony with constitutional provisions. In
relation the efforts to effect compromise between the
two divisions this may be considered the extreme position
on the one side The Presidents attitude may be
sidered the extreme position the other side What is
his position? He expressed it definitely in his statement
to the Foreign Relations Committee August 49, Moth
ing" he said then, "coud have been made clear to
the conference than the right of Congress under our con-
sttuton to exercise its independent judgment in all mat
tiers of peace and war" at is moral not legal obi
CATION and Congress" he said further sis absolutely free
to put its Interpretation upon it (artcle 10 in all
that call for action Now, it to that the
sole purpose of reservation to insure that independence
of judgment and freedom Of Interpretation and action
which the President leaves to implication, and If we &C
comh that have done all need to do to safeguard
our position in relation to this article. That think, is
the aim of the Lodge reservation But that reservation
negative in form and by its negaon gives impression
of antagonsm which, we inclined to believe, is the
main obstacle to adjustment Why could not this obstacle
be removed by change of form to express at once the
meaning of the Lodge reservation and the Presidents
derstandng? For example the following form of reser
walton is respectfully suggested:
In every case that apears to involve the provisions
of article 10 the United States reserves the right to
decide through action of the Congress, whether any
obligation exists under this article in the particular
instance, and if the extent Of the obligation and
the means of its fulfpent. The Congress- under
the constitution has the sole power to declare war
to authorize the employment of the military or
naval forces Of the United States and such forces
any part of them, cannot be employed under any ar
tice of the treaty for any purpose, unless in each
particular case the Congress so provides by act
joint resolution.
This it will be observed largely preserves the language
Of the Lodge reservation. The first part is complete
ervaton of independence Of judgment and action The
word appears" is used advsedy Article 10 is aimed
at and conquest In each in which the claim is
up that the provisions Of this article should be applied
the question would arise Is this really such the
article contempates? Is in fact external aggres
sion" against the territorial integrity and existing po
tical independence Of member of the league? Therein
involved "the element Of Judgment, the President
mas said. may appear to be such in the opinion
of some and to the contrary in the opinion of others
We should have the clear right to decide for ourselves
every case whether obligation exists within the
ing and intent of the article regardless Of the conclusions