New-York tribune., 1919-06-06
Hitchcock, Borah
and Lod &c Favor
Immediate and
Complete Inquiry
II
May Summon !
Paris ENJOYS
Polk Is Quoted as
Saying His Office
Authorized Copies
Neso York Tribune
Washington Bureau

Neto York Tribune
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, June 5.-The leak
OF the peace treaty" was the subject
again to-day OF an extended debate in
the Senate. Senator Hitchcock, az
leader Of the Democrats, and Senators
Lodge and Borah, who made the
charges that copies of the treaty. wera
IN possession of certain men in New
York, while the Senate and American
people were deprived of the text.
agreed that there should be an invest,-
cation.
Oratory meanwhile prevented the
passage of the resolution of Senator
johnson, Of California, which demands
that the State Department supply the
Senate with the text of the treatv.
The resolution went over until to-
morrow, when the Hitchcock reso)u-
tion providing for an investigation of
the Lodge-Bor charges probably
will be adopted.
Senator Lodge made it plain thst
Acting Secretary of State Polk will be
drawn into the investigation. He
quoted to-day from a statement. the
source OF which he said was Mr. Polk.
that ION the authority of the State
Department they (the treaty copies)
are in the hands of some of the fnan-
cial interests"
Investigate your own State De-
partment," Mr.. Lodge insisted in one
Of his replies to Mr.. Hitchcock.
II possible, members OF the peace
mission itself may be summoned. &C
cording to Senators Lodge and
brandegee, to ascertain how copies of
the treaty found their way into the
hends of the New Workers.
Senator Hitchcock hastily left the
Senate chamber after the statement
by Mr.. Lodge that Secretary Polk
was the State Department authority
for the fact that Financial interests"
had sections of the treaty, and tele
phoned to Mr. Polk In the debate
later IN the day, in which he engaged
with Senator Borah, Senator Hitchcock
made no further reference to the
financial interests" or to the leak Of
the treaty
Polk Issues Statement
Mr.. Polk issued statement early IN
the evening in which he denied having
said certain parts of the peace treaty
were in the hands of financial interests
IN New York. The statement follows:
My attention has been called to
statement that appeared in the news
papers the morning of Wednesday.
June a, and quoted by Senator Lodge
in debate to-day, to the effect that
had stated that certain parts of the
peace treaty were IN the hands Of
financial interests in New York.
Il made no such statement. WAS
asked by a representative of tho
press on the afternoon of Tuesday.
June 3. whether | knew of the exist
ence of copy of the treaty in New
York referred to that day by Senator
Lodge and Senator Dorah. said
did not know of the existence of any
copy of the treaty in the United
States other than those in nv pos
session, but it was possible that those
Senators had reference to certain
SeDarate c1auSec
ton and finance, as understood
there were some copies of reports
on those sections in this country.
did not say that these sections of the
treaty were in the possession Of
financial interests in New York. and
| made no mention whatever of tinan-
cial interests in New York.
LAS far as know, the copies Of
financial and reparation sections are
not in the hands of unauthorized
persons"
Senator Hitchcock made his demand
for an investigation as soon as the
routine morning business had been
transacted.
Assails Lodge and Borah
1t seems to me- said Senator Hitch
COCK, "A matter of the most tremen-
dous urgency that an investigation
should be had of the charge. made unon
the responsibility Of two Senators upon
the floor of the Senate. that copies Of
the peace treaty with Germany have
fallen into the hands of New York
interests while being withheld from tho
Senate of the United States.
The demand for an investigation