Show il ct C t S rl t C C rSC C PRESIDENT REAffiRMS HI I ANn For lor Guidance c of Senators Senator of His Part Party He Declares Article l X Rc Reservation V Would ouId Nullify Treaty CT Ih- Au rasa Mardi March 8 S. dent Wilson restated for Democratic Demo cratic senators today his opposition t to any nn peace treaty reservations which would w weaken the tho full fun force of Article X 1 or materially impair provisions pro pro visions of the league covenant co Without saying specifically what qualifications ho he would woul or would not accept ho he wrote to Senator Hitch Hitchcock cock administration leader that almost al almost nl most most all nU reservations bo ho pad had heard 8 su suggested ested were cr II in in In effect virtually unification nullifications tio s of or tho the treaty articles to which they applied I 1 hear of oC rc cr and lad mUd mild tho tho-Jetter tho letter r adde t lif bu I cannot un understand r b b tween a I. I nullifier and d a mild f r. r f StickS lo lo 0 Article e X I Discussing Article 1 X the tho Pr President l. l wrote that t there was no escaping Iho tho moral obligations expressed In n positive terms In this article though there thera could bo be no objection to explaining In Inan Inan an Interrelation Interpretation the constitutional methods by which such an obligation would have II to be fulfilled The TIle very cry heart henrt of or the thc covenant nant he reiterated be bo Imperilled b by weakening Ar Article Article Ar Ar- tick X The Tho letter written In response e to a. a request that J Jle c confer conCer with Senator Simmons of or north orth Carolina In charge for Cor the Iho Democratic side of or th the Benato Sen Ben ato in current n negotiations for tor a D. acorn compromise com com- promise follows ft Text of r My Iy Dear Senator Hitchcock Hitchcock t 1 understand un one or two of your our colleague do me mo the honor of desiring to noW know what my views are with refer reference to Article X of or th the tho league of nations and tho the effect upon th the league of ot tho adoption tion of ot certain pro proposed o cd reservations reservation to that article I r welcome the opportunity opportunity to throw any light I 1 c can n upon a subject which has become no so Jarl beclouded b by misapprehensions and misinterpretations of at every kind There Thero is no escaping tho the moral ob obligations ob- ob which aru are expressed In In- In InIn In positive terms In this article cf at t the covenant We Ye won a n moral victory victor over o Germany far greater even than the thc military victory won on tho the field of or battle because tho the opinion of of- th the tb v world swung to our support t. and th the support of ot tho the nations associated with us In the great struggle sIc It did so be because be be- cause causo of ot our our- common profession slon and promise that we meant to est establish an organization of or peace pence which would make It certain that tho combined power of or freo free nations would check Continued on page 2 t I PRESIDENT VETOES PACT COMPROMISE Continued from Pas Page 1 every invasion In of or rj right ht and serve seno tomake to tomake tomake make peace and Justice tho more secure se secure secure se- se cure b by affording a definite tribunal of or opinion to which all aU must must submit and b by which every International read- read 4 i v i 4 Vint r. r P his hl fl fY n 1 I agreed d upon P b by ti tip the p peoples di directlY li concerned shall be sanctioned Repudiation Unthinkable This promise and assurance w were ro I written Into the preliminaries of the I armistice and into tho the preliminaries ot of the peace Itself and constitute one ono of tho the most sacred obligations over as assumed as- as is- is by an any nation or bod body of oC na na- It Is Js unthinkable that America should set the tho example of ignoring such a solemn moral engagement ens I 11 feel fool that I could not look the soldiers of or our gallant armies in the lace face again if I 1 did not do o everything In my ray power to remove remo ever every obstacle in the wa way of ot the adoption of or this particular particular par par- article of the covenant because we we made mado these pledges to them aswell aswell as aswell well as to tho the rest of the world and It was vas to this cause thc they deemed them them- selves in UT a spirit 01 us L cru I should l 1 be e forever unfaithful to them themIe I If Ie f I did not do my utmost to fulfill th high purpose for which the they I Constitutional Method I I r think we wo can dismiss from our minds th tho idea that it Is necessary to stipulate in with Article X II the constitutional methods we should use In fulfilling our obligations under It ft Ye We gain nothing by by such stipulations and s secure cure curo nothing not already secured It was understood as asa asI s matter of or c course urse at the conference In Paris that whatever obligations an any government assumed or whatever duties it undertook under under- took i. V uner r th the have hav tO b be fulfilled by b its usual a and d established t constitutional methods of oC action Once or twice in meetings s of the conference when the tho tr treaty aty was under consideration tion reservations were made to that effect b by tho the representatives of ot individual indi vidual powers and these reservations reservatIons' I were invariably rece received ved In the way in which men who have met for business an and not for talk always receive acts of at scrupulous supererogation atlon listened to with indifferent silence as such men listen to what is a mater of ot course and was not necessary to say Explanation Not Objectionable There can bo ba no objection n to ex- ex again as-aln what our constitutional method is that our Congress alone alono can declare war or determine the causes or occasions for tor w war r and that it alone alono can authorize the use of or the armed armell forces Corces of oC the United States on land or on I the sea But BUl to td make such a a. declara declara- S I I Lion tion would certainly be a work of oC su sul su- su l lion I am sorry to sa say reservations that have hao come under my mv notice are arc almost I without exception not not interpretations of or the articles to which it is I in to to attach them but in effect virtual nullifications of ot those articles Any reservations which necks to de deprive dc- dc e- e the league of nations of or the force of at Article X cuts at th the very heart and nd life of the cov covenant nant itself An Any league of or nations which does not guarantee guar guar- antee as as' asa a matter of incontestable right tho the political Independence and integrity of each of its members might be hardly more than a futile scrap of paper as as' as ineffective in operation as the a agreement r between Bel Belgium lum and Germany which the Germans violated in 1914 Article X LV Article X represents tho the tion lion by Great Britain and T Japan pan which before the war ar had begun to find so 80 man many interests in common In ht the Paci- Paci fIc uc c by Franco France by Italy Italy Italy-by by all the t Ih I I J I. I o wiit b s ui 01 nits lue o UL the old oid pretensions pretension of or political conquest conI conquest con con- quest and territorial aggrandizement It Is a ew doctrine In la the tho worlds world's affairs and must be recognized or there is no secure basis halis for tor tho the peace which the tho world orld so longingly desires desire and so HO desperately needs l If Article X is not adopted and acted upon the governments ov which reject it will VIII I think be guilty of oC bad faith to their people whom they induced to make the infinite of the war b by the pledge that they would bo fighting to redeem the tho world from th the the- theold old order of force torce and ami aggression They will bo bu acting also in bad faith to the opinion of oC the world at lar large e to which 1 the they appealed for support In a concerted stand against the tho aggressions r and pretensions pre pro S tensions of or Gennan Germany Would Re to re Old Order If It we were to reject X Rn to UlI to- to nn A or vv LV vr LaKO Ho ItS un L force torce out outS of ot it It would mark us as ns desiring to to return to the old world of ot Jealous rivalry and misunderstandings from which our gallant soldiers have rescued us us and would leave us with o out t an any vision or 01 new conception of ot Justice and peace We Ve would have learned no lesson tr from m the he war but gained s anI only the i regret egret that It had in- in in us in its maelstrom of ot suffer lag ing If It America has awakened aWaken d aa as tho th I rest of oC tho the world has to the vision of ol a 3 new day la In which mistakes of th the past are to bo he corrected it will wUl welcome wel wel- come the opportunity to share the re re- re of Article X I that It this must 81 not n nbc be bc forE forgotten senator article constitutes constitute a renunciation elation of ot wrong ambition on the tho part of powerful nations with whom wo we were associated In tho the war It is by no means certain that without this article any such renunciation will take J place l m Not T ni I Militaristic ambitions and Imperialistic Imperial Imperial- h tlc policies are by no means dead I even e in the counsels of ot the tho nations whom we wo moat most trust and with whom wo we most desire to bc be associated In the tasks of or peace Throughout the thc sea sea- of ot tho conference In Paris Faris it was that a militaristic party part under tho the most leadership was seeking to gain Caln In tho the I counsels of France They were de tie- teat d then but are arc in control now Tho The chief arguments advanced In Paris In of ot the Italian claims on the tho Adriatic strategic argument that Is to so say military arguments which had at their back the thought ht of ot naval supremacy In that sea Ilea ea Formy For Formy Formy my own part var I am intolerant of ot Im Ira- designs on tho the part of or other nations as ns I was of at such designs on ou the part of Germany German The Tho choice Is between two ideals ideals- on the one hand tho the ideal of at democracy democracy rac racy which represents the tho rights of or free peoples cYer everywhere to govern themselves l es and on the tho other hand tho Ideal of ot imperialism which seeks s to dominate b by force torce and unjust power po an ideal which is Is' Is b by no means dead deall and which Is earnestly held In man many quarters still of nH Every imperialistic influence in Europe was hostile hostilo to tho the embodiment S of or Article X In la the covenant and anci its Us I defeat now would mark rk complete consummation con con- consummation I summation of at their efforts cUorts to nullity nullify the treaty I hold the doctrine of or Article Article Ar Ar- tide X to be bo tho the essence of or Artier Ameri We can not repudiate It or weaken it without repudiating our own principles j i The Tho imperialist wants no league of ot i nations but if Ie in response to the universal universal universal uni uni- versal cr cry of oC the masses everywhere there Is to be one ho he Is interested to secure one suited muted mite to his own purposes pur pur- pos poses one ono that will permit him to continue continue continue con con- the tho historic same game of or pawns and peoples the peoples tho Juggling of provinces the old balances 0 of power and the Inevitable wars attendant upon pon these things Would Perpetuate Old Order The reservation proposed e l would perpetuate perpetuate per per- the tho old order Does an any one ono really want to see seo the old game played again Can tan any anyone one really value to take talo part in revl in reviving the old order I The enemies of ot a league of or nations have by ever every true instinct centered their efforts against article X X for tor ItIs it itis is undoubtedly the foundation of or the tho I whole lolo structure It is tho the bulwark and the only bulwark nark of tho rising democracy of oC the world against the forces of oC imperialism and reaction Either we wo should enter the league f. f fearlessly accepting the responsibility anil n tho role rolo of oC leadership which we now enjoy contributing our efforts toward establishing a just and peace neace or we should re re- re tire as gracefully rac as ps possible from tho the great concert of or powers b by which the tho world was save saved For or m my part I amnot am lm amnot not willing to trust to the counsel of ot diplomats tho the working out of or an any salvation salvation salvation sal sal- of the world or the tho things which It has suffered I 1 believe that when the tho full tull significance significance sig siS of or this great question has been generally comprehended obstacles will seem insignificant nt before the tho op opportunity OP- OP a great s-reat and glorious opportunity opportunity opportunity to contribute our overwhelming moral and material force to the establishment establishment estabI I of or an international res-Ene res in I I which our own ideals of oC justice and right ma may be made to prevail and the tho nations of or tho the world be bo allowed a peaceful development under conditions of or order oder and safety hitherto im Ira- possible weeping Nullification I 1 need not nol st say that I have given givena a reat al of to the tho whole matter of oC reservations proposed Sn In n connection connection connection con con- with the tho ratification of ot tho the treaty and particularly that portion of ot the tho treaty which contains the covenant of it the league of ot nations and I have been strut strul y y me tue tact met that practically ove every so-called so reservation reser was in effect a rather sweeping nullification of oC tho the terms of tho the treat treaty I hear of ot and md mild reservation reservation- isle but I cannot understand the difference dif dit- dit ference between a nullifier and a mild nullifier Our responsibility as as a nation nation nation na na- na- na tion in this turning point of ot history Isan is isan isan an one and If IC I had tho the opportunity I 1 would beg every one concerned concerned con con- tp consider the matter in tho the light of or what hat It Itis I is possible to accomplish accomplish for humanity rather than in the thelI lI light ht of or special Rational interests If I have bon been truly Informed concerning con con- tho the de desire Ire of or some borne of of your colleagues to kJ OW m my views I 1 would be yer very glad Iad i if 11 you ou should show this letter to them S 'S Cordially anti and sincerely ons V WILSON viso |