Evening star., 1921-12-24
Does Article II Resemble
Article K?

Is article II of the new four-power
treaty substantially the same thing
as article X Of the covenant OF the
league Of nations? In the opinion OF
many papers upholding the league
the negligible difference between the
two provisions, which they endeaVor
to prove, is the conclusive argument
in favor Of accepting the new treaty.
But, on the other side Of the debate
the utter dissimilarity in import
whatever the resemblance in wording
is developed in an effort to secure
popular support of the new pact. so
totally divergent viewpoints seek the
same objective.
AFTER all the fuv, and feathers oyer
the famous article X of the Will
sonian covenant" remarks the Co
lumbia State (democratic). we are
to get the substance Of that article
in another and even more detnite
tr.aty." and the Scranton Times (dena-
ocratic) holds that because "in a very
great measure article II Of the new
! treaty Is Identical in purpose with
article X" and includes practically
the heart Of what the covenant aimed
at" friends Of the league of nations
can Win sincerity dppioNS e"S ASA>
power pact"
It is. indeed. a hopeful sign" to tho
Muskegon Chronicle tindependenu
that the administration mad the
courage to do the consistently lncon-
sistent thing" and adopt the only
method that promises g. way out
Placed side by side in the Chronicle s
editorial are the two provisions, and,
in it's opinion, as well as that Of many
writers, they form "a deadly parallel"
Article II Of the new treaty provides
that:
"If said rights are threatened by the
aggressive action Of any other power
the high contracting parties shall shall
communicate with one another fully
and frankly in order to arrive at an
Understanding as to the most efficient
measures to be taken Jointly or sep
arately to meet the exigencies OF the
particular situation"
Article x is as follows:
1.-THE members of the league under
take to respect and preserve az
against external aggression the ter
ritorial integrity and existing politi-
cal independence of all members of
the league. In case OF any such az
gression the council shall ad-
wise upon the means by which this
The Conference in principle is nil
the Lynchburg News (democratic) in
terprets the two clauses even though
there is a material difference in scope,
for, the Louisville Courier-Journal
(democratic) says article II is simply
article x applied to narrower field
as the New York World (democratic)
puts it, IAN Asiatic article X" Te
this Harrisburg Patriot Gndependent
democratic), also. "the two articles
are as like as two peas in a pod in
principle" and "in both instances
when danger threatens there shall be
conference and consideration of means
Of fulfilling the obligation" with the
'moral" force Of that obligation no
less in the new treaty than in the old.
Such difference as there Is between
them "is really one of degree in
frankness," the Milwaukee Journal
independently thinks, for while the
guarantee against aggression" is not
treaty as it is in the covenant, action
"is intipated in an unmtstakable
There are "similaritles." the New
York Tribune (republicanl readily ad-
mits, but ''the dissimilarities are
more numerous. Chiefly, the Ithaca
Journal-News Independently points
out. .there Is NO 'supergovernment' -
The new pact says the Pittsburgh
Chronicle-Telegrap (republican), re
lates to matters in which our govern
ment and the others have a direct in
terest because of ownership. ." Ar
ticle X would have pledged us to in
terfere in matters that did not con-
Germ US in the slightest"
But the distinction that is empha-
sized most persistently is the one
which concerns the guarantees" be-
hind the agreements A number OF
papers, among them the Boston Her
aid (independent republican, draw at
tention to two words which they con.
slider significant The new treaty
says the Herald, requires the con.
tracing parties TO respect each
others rights" while article X
pledges league members rst to ,respeft ,st,
and existing political independence
Therein lies the difference. the Port
land Oregonian (independent republi-
CAM observes, for in doing whatever
| a council deems necessary to pre-
serve,'" war is clearly a possibility
while ''there is absolutely nothing in
the Pacific treaty compelling the use
! ef feresE ~ xesest to asns-ts asa