Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 169, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1919 — TAKE LEAGUE AS IT STANDS [ARTICLE]

TAKE LEAGUE AS IT STANDS

RESERVATIONS WILL VITIATE WHOLE COVENANT, PRESIDENT TELLS SENATORS. Washington, July 18.—President Wilson after holding several conferences at the white house with republican senators went to the capitol late today to confer with Senator Hitchcock, of Nebraska, ranking democratic member of the foreign relations committee. After a three-quarters of an hour conference with Senator Hitchcock, which was said by the president to have been for the purpose of removing some of the misinterpretation which had arisen during treaty discussion by the senate, he returned to the white house. Senator Hitchcock said he had discussed many features of the senate fight with the president, whom he 'had found “very cheerful” over the outlook. The senator did not go into detail. The president is still insistent that the peace treaty and league of nations covenant ibe ratified without reservations, Senator Capper, republican. Kansas, said today, after a conference with the president at the white house. f Beside Senator Capper, Senators McNary of Oregon, Kellogg of Minnesota, and Kenyon of lOwa conferred with the president today. Senator Capper said the president took the position that adoption of reservations by the senate was certain to be misinterpreted abroad and would set a precedent which might be followed by other nations. The president pointed out, he said, that if all nations adopted their own reservations and placed their own interpretations on the covenant the real meaning and purpose of the league might be vitiated. The senator said the president did not present arguments, but simply state dfacts, leaving him to draw his own conclusions. Senator Capper said the Shantung settlement was discussed at length and that the president appeared to be in possession of many pertinent and important facts. The senator declined, however, to say what these were. Senator McNary, of Oregon, after conferring with the president, said Mr. .Wilson had presented facts which materially modified first impressions of the Shantung settlement. Regarding the league of nations, the Oregon senator said that he found himself substantially in accord with the president. The possible effect of reservations in the senate’s acceptance of the treaty is understood to have been discussed at length at the conference, but Mr. McNary said he had not changed his mind on the subject. The senator said he had prepared an address dealing with the legal effect of reservations in which he expects to announce his views next week in the senate. Neither Senator Kenyon nor Senator Kellogg would discuss their conversations with the president, but as he went to the white house, Senator Kenyon said he intended to ask about the statement of Senator Swanson, dem'ocra'C, Virginia, in the senate recently that the United States could withdraw from the league whenever it desired, adding this was a very important point, which would clarify the situation.