Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-13
TREATY AND LEAGUE
ALMOST THE SAME
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
LEASED Wire Service to The Journal.)



covenant and the United States SEN
ate rejected it, another American
executive now has negotiated a
treaty creating another League of
Nations, of somewhat restricted
scope geographically. but embracing
the same objects and with an Article
II which replaces the famous Ar
ticle x.
After the new treaty specifies
that the four nations shall respect
each others rights in the Pacific,
which means observing the terri
torial integrity and administrative
independence of China, the text OF
the new Article II say& !.
eff the said rights are threatened
by the aggressive action OF any otn-
err power, the high contracting par
ties (the United States, Japan, Great
Britain and F'rance) shall communl:.
cate with one another fully ana
kfrankly in order to arrive at an I'M
derstanding as to the most efficient
measures to be taken jointly or
separately, to meet the exlgencles
of the particular situation"
Compare the foregoing with the
famous Article x Of the covenant
of the league in the Versailles treaty
which reads as follows:
Famous Article x
sThe members Of the league I'M
dertake to respect and preserve as
against external aggression the ter
ritorial integrity and existing polltl..
cal independence of all members OF
the league. In case OF any sucn
aggression or in case OF any threat
or danger Of such aggression the
council shall advise upon the means
by which this obligation shall De
fulfilled"
The debate in the senate winch
defeated the versailles treaty
brought out from the Republican
side the objection that article ten
convened a. moral obligation to pre-
serve the peace as between the ma
tions signing the treaty. The same
obligation now is imposed, moral IN
character, upon the United States.
Japan. Great Britain and France to
ace to it that the aggressive &C.
tion" of any other power is met. The
ALLEGATION is conveyed in the re-
ouirement that the powers COM
nnunicate with each other lin order
10 arrive at an understanding as
to the most efficient measures to pc
taken"
This comparison reveals more
significantly than anything else the
strides which have been made by the
Harding administration toward in
ternatioral cooperation even though
the wording of the formula may be-
different. Senator Borah and some
Of the irreconcilables may oppose
y article two, but the Democrats who
favored article ten together with the
Republicans under the leadership Of
Senator Lodge who now embrace
article two without hesitation, will
form strong enough coalition TO
put the treaty through, though 1t
would not be surprising to see a
reservation attached to article two
to the effect that the United States
assumes no obligation under that
article to use military or naval
forces unless congress shall by joint
resolution so approve.
But the situation is different today
from what it was when Mr.. Wilson
was president. The Democrats are
committed to the idea Of article ten
so they can hardly refuse to accept
tho new article two. Similarly Mr..
Harding is not unlikely to agree to
such a reservation as he originally
voted for and Mr.. Lodge sponsored.
Chinese Rights Protected
The rights in the Pacific which
might be disturbed are mainly the
rights of the principal powers with
respect to China. John Hay, the
distinguished secretary of state Of
the Mckinley administration. placed
America on record as guaranteeing
the territorial integrity and political
independence of China and placed
the other powers on record as will
ing to observe the principle of equal
commercial opportunity in the Far
East. The principles written by
John Hay have been proposed again
by Elihu Root as a member of the
American delegation and proclaimed
anew.
Secretary Hughes, indeed, read to
the plenary session these principles
before Mr.. Lodge announced the text
. Of the treaty to the connection might
be apparent between the four prin-
: ciples which contain the rights that
might be subject to dispute in the
Far East and a possible aggressive
action by any power. The first of
the principles read as follows:
"To respect the sovereignty, the
independence and the territorial and
administrative integrity Of China"
This language, together with the
provisions Of the treaty especially
article two, make it incumbent upon
the United States as we'll as the
! other powers to see to it that China
is protected as against external ag-
= gression.
Thus the treaty between the four
powers will embrace the agreements
previously reached as to the princi
pies that shall govern in the Far
East OnlySthis time solemn obi
cation is entered into requiring pow
! ers to consult with each other as to
efficient measures that shall be
taken to meet any "aggressive &C
tion'' by any power. It is interest
ing to note that these efficient meas
ures "can be taken Jointly or sep
arately," SO that conceivably the
United States, Great Britain ant
& France might be allied on one side
as against Japan if the latter took
any aggressive action" in the Fal
East.
The new treaty represents q Few
idea in diplomacy. Instead S- rang
ing all the friendly powers on one
z side in an entente as against an
other group OF powers which nigh
potentially be construed as having
opposite interests, this pact gather!
together the very powers which are
likely to have disputes with eacl
other and binds them to keep tn,
peace under penalty Of opposition b!
the other members Of the group
Something of the same kind is beins
talked of to preserve European peace
as solution of the German problem
as for iRst.snce a treaty between
France, Germany and Great Britain
which would in the same way guar
antee the one against the aggression
of the other. The formula arrived