The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-12-21
WILSON TERMS
WILL DIVIDE
ALLIES SAYS
G. 0. P. CHIEF
Senator Lodge Attacks Five
of Fourteen Points of Presi-
dents January Speech
Wants Action Postponed.
ATTACK NAVY PROGRAM
tRy Associated :-ress.l

WASHINGTON. Dec 21.-Five of
President Wilson's fourteen principles
of peace were held up in the senate
today by Senator Lodge. the Republi-
can leader, as questions which might
lead to division among the nations
which have conquered Germany and
which certainly should be postponed
until after the peace conference. They
are the first four and the last OF the
points enunciated by the president In
his speech of January s, 1918, and re-
lates to secret diplomacy, freedom OF
the seas, economic barriers, reduction
Of ornaments and the league of
nations.
The senator delivered prepared ad-
dress on the problem of the peace con-
ference in which he spoke of the heavy
of the senate in the work
of making peace, recalled that no
treaty can become binding upon the
United States without the senate's con-
sent and reclared that untoward re-
suits could be avoided only if the
senate expressed itself frankly in
advance.
while think it a grave mistake"
he said, ION the part of the president
to ignore the senate, because our ulti-
mate responsibility in making the
peace Is quite equal to his own, have
no fault to find with his not appoint
ing senators as delegates to the peace
conference. There is no obligation
whatever upon him to make such ap-
pointments.
Wants Senate Views Known.
'1n the present situation, which is
grave beyond comparison" he said. Il
thing it is of last importance that
those concerned in the actual nego-
tiations of the treaty should at least
know the views of the senate so far as
the postmaster general, in control OF
the cables, and MIR. Creel, in control
of the news, will permit the opinion of
the senate to be transmitted to Paris.
We cannot compel information, but
we are abundantly able to make our
opinions known, not only to the presi-
dent but to the allies who have very
clear and even acute idea of the power
Of the senate in regard to treaties"
To bring forward propositions not
inseparably connected with the imme-
diate and difficult task of making a
binding peace with Germany, Senator
Lodge said, may ruin all by trying to
do too much at once" Such prepara-
tions, he said, were the five points
enumerated.
In his discussion Of the freedom of
the seas, the senator called attention
to the strange development" in con.
nection with the pending naval appro-
priation bill, the advocacy by Rear Ad-
miral Badger of a program calling for
a navy as large as that of England by
1925. He said he thought he had
favored building more ships than any
body else but that he never had con-
templated such a program and did not
think it necessary.
Heavy lndemnities
"In addition to physical guarantees" T"
he said, there must be heavy indem-
mites paid by Germany for the ruin
she wrought in Belgium and northern
France and Italy and for her destruc-
ton of vessels both neutral and bel
ligerent, through the use Of submar-
ines. In these indemnities the United
States must have it's proper and pro-
portional share. not only direct in
demnity for it's ships destroyed by
submarines and it's people murdered
on the Lusitania and other vessels,
but a suitable restitution in part at
lea st of the vast expenses forced upon
us by Germany.
1t will be for the peace conference
to determine what disposition should
be made of the German colonies, but
one thing is essential and that is that
they should not be returned to the
tyrannical disagreement of Ger
many and that she be deprived of
those means for extending her COM
merce and building up military out
posts in all parts of the world.
"It is the duty of the allies and
United States to meet and determine
what terms they will impose upon
Germany and then, and not until then,
call in the representatives of Germany
and impose the terms upon them p"
Opposes League.
OF the league of nations proposal
Senator Lodge said no definite plan
has yet been put forth that would not
cause indefinite controversy.
1.-The attempt to form now league
of nations-and I mean an effective
league. with power to enforce its de-
crees," he said, "can tend only to en-
barrass the peace that we ought to
make at once with Germany II it
were successful and were to come be-
fore the senate it might endanger the
peace treaty and force amendments.
Are we prepared to allow and as
sociation Of nations by a majority vote
to order the troops and ships of the
United States to go to war? Unless
we are prepared to do SO, We are not
prepared to join in league OF ma
tions which is going to enforce peace. .
In urging postponement of the ques-
ton of freedom of the seas, Senator
Lodge said it was another underlined
question, and added:
IF it means that the belligerent
rights of blockade, think the United
States will hesitate before it abandons
a weapon absolutely necessary for its
own safety. l can not imagine that
England would for a moment think
of abandoning the belligerent right
of blockade
Discussing secret diplomacy, the
senator said this point of President