The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-12-12

or Navy Without Approval OF $OnsreSs
European Pact May Follow Adcp-
fion of Pacific Agreement.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
(special Dispatch to The Reformer.)
= Copyright 1921.
| WASHINGTON Dec 12.-History
repeats itself it strange ways. After
President Wilson tried to build league
of nations with article 10 as the heart
of its covenant and the United States
senate rejected it, nnother 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 . which replaces the famous
article 10.
Territorial Integrity.
After the new treaty specifies that the
I four nations shall respect each others
rights in. the Pacific, such as Observing the
territorial integrity and administrative
| Independence of China, the text of the new
article . says -
IF the said rights are threatened BY
the aggressive action of any other power.
the high contracting parties fthe United
tsNIAItS, ldHdU. NEtdL
shall communicate with one another fully
I and frankly in order 10 arrive at an nm
Understanding as to the most efficient meas
ures to be taken jointly or separately, TO
meet the exigencies of the particular sit
luation." IL. s.... $3.50, . j. s.,.,y..,..-
article 10 of the covenant of the league, IN
THE Versailles treaty which reads as fol-
| lows - sa-.
THE members of the league undertake
to respect and preserve as against exter-
nal aggression the territorial integrity and
lexisting political independence OF all
members of the league. In case OF any
lsuch aggression or in case of any threat
Tor danger of such aggression the council
/ shall advise upon the means by which
this obligation shall be fulfilled"
Moral Obligation Objected.
The debate IN the senate which defeated
THE Versailles treaty brought out from the
Republican side the objection that article
no conveyed a moral obligation to preserve
1.-THE peace as between the nations signing
the treaty. The same obligation now Is
Imposed, moral in CHARACTER. upon the
limited States, Japan. Great Britain and
| France to see TO il that the aggressive
action" of any other power Is met. The
1 obligation is conveyed in the requirement
that the powers communicate with each
! 0Jner IN OTueT TO hETINe AT III NtueI
| standing as to the most efficient measures
| TO be taken" This comparison reveals
more significantly than anything else the
| strides which have been made by the
| Harding administration toward interna-
I tional cooperation even though the word
/ ing of the formula may be different. Srna-
! tor Borah and some of the irreconcilables
| may oppose article ?, but the Democrats
/ who favored article 10 together with the
!. Republicans under leadership of Senator
l Lodge who now embraces article = without
hesitation, will form a strong enough
coalition to put the treatry through though
| it would not be surprising to, see a reser-
vatiOn attached TO article to the eject
that the United States assumes no obi
cation 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 10 so they can hardly
/ refuse to accept the new article ,. SINH
larry Mr.. Harding is not unlikely to agree
/ to such a reservation as he originally
voted for and Mr.. Lodge sponsored.
With Respect to China.
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 rs guaranteeing
/ the rights in the Pacific which means
observing the territorial integrity and po
| 1itical independence of China, and placed
/ the other powers on record as willing to
observe the principle of equal commercial
! opportunity in the Far East. The prin-
/ ciples written by John HAY have been
proposed again by Elihu Root as mem
her of the American delegation and pro-
claimed anew.
Secretary Hughes indeed read 10 the
lnlenary session these principles before Mr..
Lodge announced the text of the treaty
20 the connection might be apparent be-
tween the four principles which contain
| the rights that might be subject to dis
,pute in the Far East, and a possible ag@
| sressiye action by any power. The first
of the principles reads as follows -
Protection OF China
ITO respect the sovereignty, the indie
lpendence and the territorial administra-
tive integrity of China" This language,
together with the provisions of the
treaty, especially article =. make it in
cumbent upon the United States as well
as the other powers to sec to it that China
lis protected as against external asgres-
] sion.
Thus the treaty between the four pow
ers will embrace. the agreements pre-
iviously reached as 70 the principles that
shall govern in the Ear East Only this
time solemn obligation is entered into,
the powers TO consult with zach other as
to efficient measures that shall be taken
to meet any aggressive notion by any
powers. 1t is Interesting to note that
these efficient measures" can be taken
| 'ipintly or separately so fiat comedy
ably the United States, Great Britain
and France might be allied on one side az
against Japan ii the latter took any "ag-
gressive action" IN the Far East. =
| The new treaty represents a new idea
! in diplomacy. Instead of ranging all the
i.fFiendly powers on one side in an en-
tente as against another group which
might p5tentiallp be construed a. having
opposite interest. the pact gathers to-
gather the very powers who are likely to
have diSn1fes vSith f.sh -ntlnt. mud hin a.