TREATY RUINED BY THE SENATE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 47, 19 November 1919, Page 7

TREATY RUINED BY THE SENATE

4 PRESIDENT WILSON'S OPINION LEAGUE COVENANT NULLIFIED t By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright 0 Washington, November 17. 4 President Wilson considers that the s Peace Treaty is ruined. Tho reservaa tions, he says, nullify the Covenant, and render it utterly impossible. :1 After an interview with President Wil--1 son, Senator Hitchcock announced that - the President was unable to consider or I accept Senator Lodge's reservations. Hβ considered them a nullification of tho 8 Treaty, leaving the United States impc- • tent in the Lcnguo of Nations. F Senator Hitchcock intends to meet tho ' ratification motion with attached reser- ' vations in order to propose instead a. motion offering ratification without re- ' servations. This is certain to be defeated, and the Democrats will then olfer J a compromise with the Republicans on ! the basis of ratification with immaterial 1 reservations.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. FURTHER _ RESERVATIOiNS . ] THREE MOTIONS REJECTED. ) Washington, November 17. The Senate rejected a reservation excluding the United States from responsibility for the disposition of the German 5 colonies. Senator Owen's reservation protecting the rights of Egyptians to self-govern-i ment was rejected by Jo votes to 37. i A reservation excluding from the . League the question that American honour was vital to its interests was rejected by 56 to 3C—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. STILL MORE RESERVATIONS. (Rec. November 19, 0.5 a.m.) Washington, November 15. Tho Senate, after accepting Senator Lodge's motion by the closure of the debate, adopted in rapid succession the » following reservations:— 1 The United States reserves the right - to .determine what questions are domes- ; tic. including all questions relating to s boundaries, and declines to submit to ) the Leajjue matters pertaining to tho . Monroe doctrine, and reserves full libj erty of action in regard to Shantung. t Congress to provide by law for the • appointment of the United States repre- - Esntativcs in the Assembly and Council of the League, and the Senate must concur in any appointments to the various Treaty Commissions. Congressional approval is needed for tho Reparations Commissions and tho regulations of German and American commerce. I The United States to contribute to tho i League of Nations expenses only as ap-. . by Congress.—Aus.-N.Z. C'ablo > Assn. I New York, November 15. The New York "Times" Washington i correspondent states that as. a result , of the Senate's adoption of the Republi- ' can reservations, Senator Hitchcock said i that the Democrats would vote down ' tho ratification resolution. It is under--1 stood, that he intends to bring up milder reservations following the defeat of the ) Treaty with the Republican reservations. Senator Lodge says that in the event < of this k'ing attempted tho Republicans ■ will "block in."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. I STRIKING APPEAWtUENERAI SMUTS ' TO RATIFY THE LEAGUE ; _, COVENANT. Johannesburg, Noyepiber 17. General Smuts (Prime Minister) has made a striking appeal to America to ratify the Covenant of the League of Nations. He said he was told the League of Nations was in. danger in tho American Senate, but lie could not believe it. Might he send a message from South Africa to America? He trusted the npp°al would not be resented. America had established a great record in the war, and shoirwl she was capable of the highest altruism- He couUl not believe that America would now, after all, block the way, or that a purely American point of view would be allow. ■ Ed to override the -wider interests and necessities of civilisation in the greatest crisis in history. They all prayed her to sign the great Covenant, and complete the ivork for humanity which she had unselfishly set out in tho war to do. —Eeuter. DIFFICULT SITUATION CREATED. (Rec. November 18, 11-.15 p.m.) [ London, November 16. • The decisions of the American *cnato : in adopting reservations practical}' nulli- - fyinjr the Treaty of Peace have pro- [ duced ii .situ'itioii which is viewed in ■ London and Paris with much concern. 'J'lm illness of President Wilson at this critical period increases the difficulty of forecasting any solution. One uncertain factor is whether the American people approve or disapprove of the henato's action in undoing the whole labour of the President at the Peace > Conference.—Renter. ; AMERICAN SEIZCrToF GERMAN SHIPS I BRITISH CLAIMS CONSIDERED , " AT PARIS. I Paris, November 17. The Supreme Council lias discussed the American seizure of Cicrman ships, which Britain claims ought to Ik transferred to tho Allies according to agreement. No decision was reached.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. I GERMAN COMPENSATION TO FRANCE I , FOR INTERNMENT OF ALSATIANS. Berlin, November 17. The German Government has deposil- ' ed with France twenty-five million ' francs as compensation for the four .thousand Alsatians interned during the war owing to their sentiments favouring France.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. f =====-