Show Text ext o of f President rd s z i. i Letter to Hitchcock M Dear Sen I tor I I understand understand un un- one ont or two of your colleagues d dome me the honor of desiring to know what my views are with reference to article X of the league of at nations and tl the e effect u upon on the league of the jion on an of certain proposed reservations I t to that article I welcome the opportunity opportunity I to throw any light I can upon a a subject which has become so singularly singularly beclouded by misapprehensions and misinterpretations of every kind There Is no escaping the moral ob ob- which are expressed In positive post post- tive terms In ln this article of the cove- cove ant We won a moral victory ov over r Germany far tar greater even than the military victory won on the field of I Battle attic because the opinion of the thew w swung to our support and the i is s support of the nations associated with I Is s In the great struggle It did so be because because be be- i ic c cause cause use of at our OUI common profession arid and I promise that we meant to establish an organization of peace which would mate aM aka It certain that the combined I power of free nations would check every Crery Invasion of right and serve to tomake o I make peace and Justice the more 8 se se cure Mure c re by affording a definite tribunal 1 of opinion to which all must submit and nd by which every International readjustment re re- re readjustment adjustment that cannot be amicably agreed upon by the peoples directly Concerned shall be be sanctioned SACRED OBLIGATION This promise and assurance were into the preliminaries of the Armistice and into the preliminaries I of oft the peace itself and constitute one I the most sacred obligations ever as assumed as- as i by any nation or body of na na- I It ions t ns It is unthinkable that America i should hould set the example of ignoring such a solemn moral engagement I I feel that I 1 could not look the soldiers rs of our gallant armies in the f face ce again If tf I did not do everything my power Ver to remove every obstacle the time way of the adoption of this parr par cular ular article of the covenant because Eye e e made mafle these pledges to them as aswell aswell well w as to the rest of ot the world and aj was to this cause they deemed themselves themselves them them- selves Relves devoted in a spirit of ot crusaders r Tt hould be forever unfaithful to them fI UI did not do my utmost to fulfill the 1 h gh purpose for which they fought AS Ts TO THE CONSTITUTION I I think we can dismiss fro from our I minds mends the idea that It Is necessary to in connection with article X Xe Xe I ne e e constitutional methods we should Jise se in fulfilling our obligations under fD We gain nothing by such stipulations I lone ns and secure nothing not already I Ic cured c It was understood as a a. matr mat- mat r of of course at the conference in Paris I at t whatever obligations an any govern- govern nent ent assumed or whatever duties It I under under the the treaty would aye ive veto to to be fulfilled by Its usual and I established co constitutional methods of Once or twice in meetings of e e conference when the treaty was I Inder consideration reservations reservations' sere vere made to that effect by the rep- rep of ot individual powers and andese andl l ese se reservations reservation were Invariably received re- re in the way in which men who rave give ave met for tor business and not for alk aile always nl receive acts of scrupulous p listened listened to with indifferent Indifferent ferent C rent silence as such men listen to i what is a matter of course and was Ept ot of necessary to say EXPLANATION ACCEPTABLE There can be no no- objection to exp ex- ex p again what our our constitutional method thod Is that our congress alone can declare war or determine the causes or ora oro o a for war and that it alone Tan can an authorize the use of the armed of the United States on land or oron oron on on the sea But to make such a de declaration dec dec- would certainly be a work of fI I am sorry to say reservations that ave come came under my notice are almost almos without exception not Interpretations tho of the tho articles to which it is proposed is-proposed to t attach altach them but In effect virtual nullifications of ot those articles ARTICLE ARTICLE X IS HEART Any reservations which seek to de de- I pt pr ye e the league of nations' nations of the force pf article X cuts at the very heart and If ife I of the covenant co Itself Any league of oti nations which does not guar guarantee asTa asTa matter of Incontestable right the independence and Integrity of i raSh each of its Hs m members r bers might be hardly more than a futile scrap of ot paper as asin in operation as the agree- agree ent between Belgium and Germany w Ich the Germans violated In 1914 BLOW AT IMPERIALISM Article X represents the on by Great Britain and Japan Tapan which Before the war had begun to find tind so 50 many Jn interests in common In the Pacific Paci fic I by France by Italy Italy Italy-by by all aU the Jr great at fighting powers of the world of th the the- theold old pretensions of political conquest conquest conquest con con- quest and territorial aggrandizement I HUs a new doctrine In iii the worlds world's af affairs at a- f fairs and must be recognized or there secure secure basis for the peace which I the world so longingly desires and so desperately needs It If article If X Is Is' not adopted I and acted upon the governments govern I ments ants which reject It will I think be sulky guilty of bad faith to io their people whom they induced to make the of th the war by the pledge that they would be fighting to redeem the th world from the old order of force I and aggression T They ey will be acting a sa o. o In In- bad had faith to the opinion of thed thew the w rid d at large to which they appealed appeal d rw r. support in a a. concerted stand against g the aggressions aggressions' and preten preten- plonA Fiona Js of Germany OPENS PENS DOOR TO RIVALRY jElf If we were to reject article X or weaken It as to lo take its Us full fulI force toce out of Jt It it would would mark us as desiring to return to the old ld world ofal of jealous al us rivalry and misunderstandings froth from which our gall gallant nt soldiers have rescued UP us and would leave us with with- without out o t any vision or new new conception of Justice I and peace We Ve would have learned carped no lesson from the war but gained only the regret that that'll it had involved In In- us In to Its mae maelstrom strom of suffering suffer suffer- ing ng If It America has awakened as the rest est of the world has to the vision of thew lew day In which mistakes of the past ast are to be corrected it will welcome welo wel wel- come ome o e the opportunity to share the re re- of article X It must not be forgotten senator hat tat this article constitutes' constitutes a lation of wrong ambition on the part t powerful nations with whom we weere weere weere ere associated in the war It Is by byo byok o oj ok means certain that without this any such renunciation will take tako lace NOT DEAD Militaristic ambitions and and t Imperial imperial- tlc lIc policies are by no means dead ven yen in the counsels of the n nations horn we most trust and with whom most st desire to be associated in the of ot peace Throughout the ses- ses s- s ns of the conference in Paris It was ident dent that a militaristic par party y under most influential leadership was ing In r to gain In the I counsels of France They were de de- de sated then but are in control now The chief arguments advanced in Paris in support of the of-the the Italian claims on the Adriatic were strategic arguments that Is to say military arguments fit which had at their back the thought Of naval aval supremacy in that sea Formy Formy For my own part I am Intolerant or imperialistic imperialistic im im- designs on the part of other nations as I was of or such designs on on the part of Germany The choice is between two Ideal Ideals on the one hand the ideal of democracy demOcracy democracy racy which represents the rights of tr free e peoples everywhere re to gov govern rn themselves and on the other hand the Ideal of imperialism which s se k ks to dominate by force and unjust power a ah an ideal which Is It by no means dead and which is earnestly held In many quarters still IMPERIALISTS OPPOSE IT Every imperialistic influence nce in Europe was hostile to th the embodiment of ot article X in the covenant and Its defeat now would mark marlc complete consummation consummation consummation con con- summation of their efforts to nullify nullity the treaty I hold the doctrine of article ar ar- X to be the essence of Americanism Ameri Amerl c We cannot repudiate it ft or weaken it without repudiating our own principles The imperialist wants no league o of nations but If in response to the universal uni uni- v versal cry of the masses masse everywhere there is to be one he Is interested to secure one one suited to his own purposes purposes pur purposes pur- pur poses one that will permit him to conI continue con con- I the historic game of pawns and the old balances of power and the inevitable wars attendant upon these things BULWARK OF STRUCTURE The re reservation proposed would perpetuate perpetuate per per- t the e old order Does any one ne really want to 19 see the old game played again agath Can Can any any one really value to take part in reviving the old order The enemies of a league of nations have by every very true instinct cent centered red their efforts against article X for tor it Is undoubtedly the foundation of the whole structure It is the bulwark and the only bulwark of the rising democracy of the world against the forces of at Imperialism and reaction Either w we should enter the league fearlessly accepting the responsibility and not fearing the role of leadership I whIch which which-we we now enjoy contributing our efforts toward establishing a Just and andI I perman permanent nt peace or we should reI retire re retire re- re tire as as gracefully as possible from the I great concert of ot powers by which the world was saved For my part I am amnot am amnot I not willing to trust to the counsel counselor of diplomats the working out of any salvation salvation salvation sal sal- of the world or the things which it has suffered GREAT OPPORTUNITY I r believe that when the full sig sigf of ot this great question has been generally comprehended obstacles will seem insignificant before the op opportunity opportunity op- op a great and glorious opportunity opportunity to contribute our overwhelming moral and material force torce to the establishment establishment of an international regine in which our own ideals of Justice and right may be made to prevail and the nations of the world be allowed a peaceful l development under conditions of f ord order r and safety hitherto impossible sible RESERVATIONS NULLIFY I r need not say that I have given givena a great deal of thought to the whole matter of reservations proposed In connection connection connection con con- with the ratification of the treaty and particularly that portion of the treaty which contains the covenant of the league of nations and nd I have been struck by the fact that practically every so-called so reservation was in effect a rather sweeping nullification of ot the terms of the treaty I hear of and mild reservation reservation- 1st but I cannot understand the difference difference dif dif dif- I ference terence between a nullifier and a mild nullifier Our responsibility as a nation nation nation na na- I tion in this turning point of history IsAn is isan isan an overwhelming one and if It I 1 had the opportunity I would beg everyone concerned concerned concerned con con- to consider the matter in the light of what it is possible to accomplish accomplish pUsh t for r humanity rather than In the tho light of special national interests If It I have been truly informed concerning concerning concerning con con- th the desire of some of ot your colleagues to o know my views I 1 would be very glad if it y you U should show this letter Jetter to them Cordially and sincerely yours WOODROW WILSON VILSON |