Evening star., 1925-01-19
PARIS AGREEMENT
BINDS i. s. IN NO
WAY, HUGHES SAYS
Formal Statement Declares
Nation as Free as Ever
From Commitment.
CLAIM FOR ACTION BY
CONGRESS HELD INVALID
Collection of Debts Seen as Purely
Executive Function by
State Secretary.

Secretary Hughes issu d today
formal statement asserting that the
agreement reached in Paris at the con-
ference Of the allied finance ministers
imposed no obligation, legally or
morally" on the United States, and that
this country remains as free from com
mftments in European matters as IL
ever was.
The statement said the full text OF
the agreement signed by Ambassador
Kellogg and the other American repre-
sentatives would be made public as soon
as il was received here.
A resolution asking for copy OF the
agreement, proposed by Senator Jonh-
son. Republican. California, is penang
in the Senate with the approval Oh
others of the irreconCilable veterans VI
the Versailles treaty fight. From these
and other quarters the state bepal.-
ment has heard charges that the Paris
agreement. signed by Ambassador hel-
logg, the Secretary of State designate
had drawn the United States otilcialiN
into an involvement against Whlch II
had been guarding itself ever since the
close of the war.
Text of Statement.
The Hughes statement said:
THE portion of the agreement
reached at the recent conference IN
Paris which relates to the partlcipa-
ton of the United States in the
Dawes annuities has already been
published in the newspapers. Inc
full text of the agreement is on It's
way to this country and VIII be pup
lished as soon as received. In the
meantime it may be said:
"GD The conference of hnance
ministers held at Paris was for the
purpose of reaching an agreement as
TO the ALLEGATION of the payments eN-
pected through the operation OF the
Dawes plan. in view of the inclusive
character of these payments II was
necessary for the United States 10
take part in the conference In ordeF
TO protect its interests.
"f2) The conference at Paris was
not a body, agency or commission
provided for either by our treaty
with Germany or by the treaty OF
Versailles. In taking part IN TINS
conference there was no violation OF
the reservation attached by the sen
ate TO the treaty of Berlin
L. =. Not Bound.
"(S) The agreement reached at
Paris was simply for the ALLEGATION
OF the payments made under the
Dawes plan. 1t does not provide Tor
sanctions or deal with any questions
that might arise if the contemplated
payments should not be made. With
respect to any such contingency the
agreement at Paris puts the United
States under no obligation legally or
morally and the United states will be
as free as it ever was to take any
course of action 1t may think adVls-
able.
"(4) The agreement at Paris neither
surrenders nor modities any treaty
right of the United States"
Suggestions that the Paris agree
ment requires submission to Congress
are not rega rded by administration
leaders as valid. They take the view
that ii has been the immemorial
policy of the Washington Government
that the Executive deal with all
matters relating to the collection of
claims against other nations.
The State Department reiterated
today its denial Of a story that Am
bs ssador kellogg had sought to quail
ify American signature of the agree
ment with a reservation absolving the
United States specifically from any
obligations or commitments in con-
nection with the agreement. 1t was
explained at the state Department
that such "A step was regarded as un
necessary. There appeared to be
every desire at the Department to
regard the Paris negotiations as
closed incident.
Coolidge o. K.'s View.
Mr. Hughes statement was said by
White House officials to have the full
approval of President Coolidge, who,
st was said, had been fully advised
OF all angles of the controversy.
The Secretary was said at the
White House to have obtained for his
statement the complete sanction of
the President before it was issued.
Senator Willis of Ohio. Republi-
can member of the foreign rela tions
committee, discussed the Paris settle
ment today with the President, but
declined to say what angle of the
question was considered.
Senator Johnson, whose resolution
is to come up Wednesday in the
foreign relations committee. declined
to comment on Secretary Hughes
statement other than to say that his
resolution was one of inquiry, and
that he would seek all the facts in
the case.
Chairman Borah of the foreign re-
lations committee, who had prepared
resolution similar to that offered
by Senator Johnson, also declined to
comment.