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Show LEAGUE PLAN OF COMBINATION KIND, LEGAL ADVICE SAYS WASHINGTON", Aug. 12. "The plan for a league of nations used as a basis of discussion at Versailles was not any of tho drafts submitted by the United States, Great Pritain, France or Italy, but was a combination of all of them," the senate foreign relations committee was told today by Pavid Hunter Miller, legal adviser to the league of nations commission at Versailles. Chairman Lodge said President Wilson had told the committee at t he White house in March that the British plan drawn by General Smuts was used as a basis of consideration, but the witness protested that such was not his recollection. recol-lection. The witness sa id he had submitted memoranda on the American plan, but did not see the finished product until it was printed in the form transmitted to the committee yesterday by 1 'resident Wilson. "Where did the plan come from?" asked Senator Lodge. "E suppose it came from the president." presi-dent." "What became of it?" "I think it was submitted to the commission com-mission on the league of nations. I didn't personally have anything to do with it." Questioned by Senator Brandegee, Mr. asked Senator Jirandegee. "Not prior to my appointment as a special spe-cial assistant in the state department, shortly after the United States entered the war." Mr. Miller said he never had heard of any plan for a league drafted by New York lawyers and taken to Paris by the president. Senator Brandegee asked: "As of what date?" the "territorial integrity" mentioned men-tioned under article X of the covenant was to be guaranteed. "I understand the boundaries and territorial ter-ritorial integrity of nations are to be guaranteed primarily as they existed at the signing of the treaty and, secondarily, as they may be determined under the treaty by plebiscite, for instance." Senator Harding questioned the witness wit-ness as to what would ensue under the covenant if the league made a decision affecting American territory contrary to the wishes of the American government. The witness said there would be no authority au-thority to enforce the league decision unless un-less the United States broke its cove-Miller cove-Miller said he was a law partner of Gordon Gor-don Auchincloss, son-in-law of Colonel E. M. House, one of the American delegates to the peace conference. "Did you have any exper'ence in international inter-national affairs, in drafting the treaties?" nants and went to war over the question. ques-tion. "Then what does the league have to back up its decision?" persisted Mr. Harding. "Public opinion and moral force." Asked who drew up the composite draft of the covenant used as a basis of discussions dis-cussions at Versailles, the witness said: "Mr. Hurst and myself." Asked later for the full name of Mr. Hurst, Mr. Miller said it w;:s C. J. P. Hurst, "a legal adviser to the British foreign office." "Isn't he well known in England, as a pacifist?" j "Wasn't he suspected of being pro-: pro-: German?'' asked Senator Brandegee. j "I don't know " ; Senator Fall, Republican, New Mexico, asked what the situation would be if the league awarded a strip of American territory to Mexico and Mexico accepted accept-ed the decision of the league and placed her flag over the disputed territory, though the United States refused to abide by the decision. "It would be an Invasion of the United States," the witness replied. "One which we could resist with armed force without violating our covenant?" "Yes." |