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Show PRESIDENT THROWS LIGHTON TREATY WILSON AND SENATORS DISCUS8 PACT PROVI8ION8 AT WHITE HOU8E 8E8SION. Minute Explanations of Disputed Points In Leanue of Nations Cov-enant Cov-enant Are Brought Out, Presl-dent Presl-dent Uralno Early Action. Washington. President Wilson, Interpreting In-terpreting the league of nations covenant cov-enant for tho sennto foreign relations committee, on Tuesday, declared It Imposed Im-posed no legal obligation for tho uso of Amerlcnn military forco In protecting protect-ing tho territory or Independence of nny other nation. But he added that the covenant might Involve, In certain circumstances, circum-stances, mi "absolutely compelling moral obligation," which might bo even stronger than u legul promise. Pressed for n more exact definition by commltteo members, who Insisted that the wholo arrangement was a ''rope of sand," ho asserted thnt on tho contrary ho considered It ns plnclng (he nations In "an attitude of comradeship comrade-ship and protection" which would compel com-pel respect for tho principles of 'Justice 'Jus-tice and liberty. Meeting tho commltteo In n round-table round-table discussion In tho oust room of tho White House, in contradiction to the precedents of more than u century cen-tury nml with thu wholo nation listening listen-ing through thu medium of u relay .of public stenographers, tho president presi-dent 'went Into many of the details of the pence negotiations and touched on all tbo hotly debated questions which lmvo divided the senato In Its consideration consid-eration of tho peace treaty. Atlclo X of the covenant, guaranteeing guaran-teeing the Integrity of lenguo members mem-bers against nggresslon, ho declared, would leave to each nation "completo freedom ut choice us to the application applica-tion of force." Kvon If tho American representatives on tho council Jolnod In u unanimous recommendation for mllltnry action tho final decision for pence or war must rest so far ns concerned con-cerned tho United States with congress, con-gress, ho said. Whatever udvlco the council guvo under Its authority to take such nctlon as Is "deemed appropriate," must nlso bo deemed appropriate by thu United Slates to ho binding on this government, govern-ment, ho argued, though In the background back-ground would ho such n potential moral force that ho. doubted If the nation would often decline to uct. Tho president revealed that Japan' promise to return Shantung province to China was reduced to written fornf In the minutes of thu peace conference. Ho asserted ho hud "every confidence" thut'tho promise would bo carried out, and told tho senators It wus "tho best that could bo got" out of tho negotiations, negoti-ations, Japan having given notleo sho would withdraw from tho couferenco If her demands wero refused. Tho American delegates, ho said, had tr!d 2 JJS5JJ UlS Patlo tif 'Com b ligations In HuWpeau affairs, "so tar as It was lionornbly posslblq to do so," but ho assorted that It might bo necessary neces-sary to keep sorao American troops In tho Ilulno district under tho treaty for tho next fifteen years. He declared tho nation would bo Its own solo Judge whether Its obligations had been fulfilled under tho disputed withdrawal clause of tho league covenant; cove-nant; that purely domestic questions wero safe from the league's lntorf--ence; and that tho Monroo doctrine wus clearly preserved. The league, tho president explained, wus built on tho plan of General Smuts of South Africa. Mr. Wilson revealed that ho had suggested tho United .States take no part of tho German reparations, hut had usked that tho conference reserve disposition of tho German Pacific Island of Yap on a suggestion that (t was needed for an American navu! station. Karly action on tho treaty was urged In u stutement by tho president nt tho outset of tho conference. This was necessary, ho held, so that a pcaco basis might bo reached, mid tho other treaties under negotiations now nt Versailles Ver-sailles wero being delnycd until tho world learned what would happen to tho treaty with Germany. Ho sold ho saw no reasonable objection to senate reservations; but thought It unwise to Incorporate them In the ratification Itself. |