13 PROPOSED RESERVATIONS

These thirteen reservations were brought before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations as a result of a tentative argreement reached between the "moderate" reservationists on the Republican side, led by Senator McCumber, and those Republican Senators who have demanded amendments.

Preamble--The committee reports the following reservations and understandings to be made a part and a condition of the resolution of ratification, which ratification is not to take effect or bind the United States until the said following reservations and understandings have been accepted as a part and a condition of said instrument of ratification by at least three of the four principal Allied and associated powers, to wit: Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan.

1. The United States understands and construes Article I, that in case of notice of withdrawal from the League of Nations . . . . the United States shall be the sole judge as to whether all its international obligations and all its obligations under the said convenant have been fulfilled, and notice of withdrawal by the United States may be given by a concurrent resolution of the Congress of the United States.

2. The United States assumes no obligation to preserve the territorial integrity or political independence of any other country or to interfere in controversies between nations--whether members of the league or not--under the provisions of Article X, or to employ the military or naval forces of the United States under any article of the treaty for any purpose, unless in any particular case the Congress, which, under the Constitution, has the sole power to declare war or to authorize the employment of the military or naval forces of the United States, shall by act or joint resolution so provide.

3. No mandate shall be accepted by the United States under Article XXII, part 1, or any other provision of the treaty of peace with Germany, except by action of the Congress of the United States.

4. The United States reserves to itself exclusively the right to decide what questions are within its domestic jurisdiction, and declares that all domestic and political questions relating wholly or in part to its internal affairs . . . are solely within its jurisdiction.

5. The United States will not submit to arbitration by the assembly or the council of the League of Nations . . . . any questions which in the judgment of the United States depend on or relate to its long-established policy, the Monroe Doctrine; said doctrine is to be interpreted by the United States alone, and is . . . . wholly outside the jurisdiction of said League of Nations.

6. The United States withholds its assent to Articles 156, 157 and 158 and reserves full liberty with respect to any controversy which may arise under said articles between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan.

7. The Congress of the United States by law will provide for the appointment of the representatives of the United States in the assembly and the council of the League of Nations, and may in its discretion provide for the participation of the United States in any commission, committee, tribunal, court, council or conference, or in the selection of any members thereof, and for the appointment of members of said commission, committee, . . . . or in carrying out its provisions, and until such participation and appointment have been so provided for, . . . no person shall represent the United States under either such League of Nations or the treaty, or be authorized to perform any act for or on behalf of the United States thereunder, and no citizen of the United States shall be selected or appointed as a member of said commissions, committees, . . . . except with the approval of the Congress of the United States.

8. The United States understands that the reparations commission will regulate or interfere with exports from the United States to Germany, or from Germany to the United States only when the United States by its Congress approves such regulation or interference.

9. The United States shall not be obligated to contribute to any expenses of the League of Nations . . . . or other agency, organized under the League of Nations, or under the treaty or for the purpose of carrying out the treaty provisions, unless and until an appropriation of funds available for such expenses shall have been made by the Congress of the United States.

10. If the United States shall at any time adopt any plan for the limitation of armaments proposed by the council of the League of Nations under the provisions of Article VIII, it reserves the right to increase such armament without the consent of the council whenever the United States is threatened with invasion or engaged in war.

11. The United States construes subdivision "C" of Article XXIII to mean that the League shall refuse to recognize agreements with regard to the traffic in women and children and that the League shall use every means possible to abolish and do away with such practice.

12. The United States reserves the right to permit . . . . the nationals of a covenant-breaking state, . . . . to continue their commercial, financial and personal relations with the nationals of the United States.

13. Nothing in Articles 296, 297, or in any of the annexes thereto, or in any other article, provision, section or annex of the treaty of peace with Germany shall, as against citizens of the United States, be taken to mean any confirmation, ratification or approval of any act otherwise illegal or in contravention of the rights of citizens of the States