Answers to Questions About the League of Nations

Released for the afternoon papers of Thursday, September 18, 1919

ANSWERS OF THE PRESIDENT TO QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE SAN FRANCISCO LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

1. Will you state the underlying consideration which dictated an awarding of six votes to the British Empire in the Assembly, and is it true that Great Britain will outvote us in the League of Nations and thereby control the League's action?

Answer. The consideration which led to assigning six votes to the self-governing portions of the British Empire was, that they have in effect, in all but foreign policies, become autonomous self-governing states, their policy in all but foreign affairs being independent of the control of the British Government, and in many respects dissimilar from it. But it is not true that the British Empire can outvote us in the League of Nations and therefore control the action of the League, because in every matter except the admission of new members to the League, no action can be taken without the concurrence of a unanimous vote of the representatives of the States which are members of the Council, so that in all matters of action, the affirmative vote of the United States is necessary, and equivalent to the united vote of the representatives of the several parts of the British Empire. The united votes of the several parts of the British Empire cannot offset or overcome the vote of the United States.

2. Is it true that under the League of Nations foreign countries can order the sending of American troops to foreign countries?

Answer. It is not. The right of Congress to determine such matters is in no wise impaired.

3. What effect will the League of Nations have in either forwarding or hindering the final restoration of Shantung to China? What effect will the League of Nations have in preventing the further spooliation of China and the abrogation of all such special privileges now enjoyed in China by foreign countries?

Answer. The League of Nations will have a very powerful effect in forwarding the final restoration of Shantung to China, and no other instrumentality or action can be substituted which could bring that result about. The autyhority of the League will, under Article X, be constantly directed toward safeguarding the territorial integrity and political independence of China. It will, therefore, absolutely prevent the further spoilation of China, promote the restoration to China of the several privileges now long enjoyed by foreign countries, and assure China of the completion of the process by which Shantung will presently be returned to her in full sovereignty. In the past there has been no tribunal which could be resorted to for any of these purposes.

4. Is there anything in the League of Nations Covenant or the Peace Treaty which directly or indirectly in any manner imposes on the United States any obligations, moral or otherwise, of the slightest character, to support England in any way in case of revolt in Ireland?

Answer. There is not. The only guarantee contained in the Covenant is against external aggression, and those who framed the Covenant were scrupulously careful in no way to interfere with what they regarded as the sacred right of self-determination.

5. What effect, if any, will the League of Nations Covenant have in either hindering or furthering the cause of Irish freedom?

Answer. It was not possible for the Peace Conference to act with regard to the self-determination of any territories except those which had belonged to the defeated empires, but in the Covenant of the League of Nations it has bset up for the first time in Article XI a forum to which all claims of self-determination which are likely to disturb the peace of the world or the good understanding between nations upon which the peace of the world depends, can be brought.

END.