Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1919-09-05
A SHOCK TO
COUNTRY
Senator Hitchcock So Char.
acterizes Senator Knox's
Attack on Peace Treaty.
INSANE FOREIGN POLICY
Amendment or Defeat Of the Treaty
Would be Commercial and Finan.
cial Disaster for America,
Says Nebraska Senator.


that any amendment to the treaty of
peace, good or bad, reasonable or UNI
reasonable, means the defeat of the
treaty with all its disastrous conse-
quences, Senator Hitchcock of Ne
braska made n powerful speech in
the senate today urging that the treaty
be ratified without delay and without
amendment.
Referring to the recent speech Of
Senator McCumber, Republican, of
North Dakota, who voted against the
Shantung amendment in the foreign
relations committee, Senator Hitch
cock said
"He has shown that the proposed
amendment instead of helping China,
deprives her of the benefit of the
promises and concessions the United
States has exacted from Japan. He
has shown that Japan Is already In
possession of the German rights, priv
ileges, and lease holds. He has also
shown that Great Britain and France
are under pledge to Japan to stand
by her in her claim, and he has chal-
lenged the supporters of the proposed
amendment to show how China can
possibly be benefited unless when we
reject Japan's promises we propose to
90 to war with her and drive her out
of Shantung for the benefit of China.
IL think the senator from North
Dakota conclusively demonstrated the
folly of the proposed amendment as
far as 1t concerns China and the dan
ger that ii involves to the United
States"
Senator Hitchcock then explained
the inevitable results If the senate
should vote in favor of the Shantung
amendment or any other. He said
that one of two things would happen
either the president would refuse to
20 further with the treaty, or he would
have to submit the amendment to the
nations associated with the United
States in the war.
"Does anyone believe" asked the
senator, "that the other nations would
accept the Shantung amendment"
He pointed out that Great Britain has
already ratified the treaty and Is I'M
der pledge to Japan with reference
to Shantung and that France is soon
to ratify the treaty and is under the
same pledge to Japan.
Does anyone suppose that Japan
herself would submit to such a hui
initiation before the eyes Of the
world?" asked Hitchcock.
1.-THE answer is simple he assert
ed. ave would find ourselves out In
the cold. isolated from the rest of
the world.
"What, then, will the United States
dor What will those American states.
men propose who stand for this meth
cd of killing the treaty? Some Of
them will say that congress can pass
joint resolution declaring state
of peace with Germany. Others say
the United States can negotiate sep
arate and Independent treaty Of peace
with Germany. Those who talk this
way evidently have no conception of
the enormous benefit and advantages
which the United States derives from
this treaty, which we wrung from Ger
many at the lannon's mouth. Neither
have they any conception of the diff
ficulties involved in negotiating a new
treaty with Germany 10 establish the
terms of peace and settle the contro-
verses of the war.
"To my mind, It would be suicidal
for the United States to throw away
the advantages and benefits provided
I'm this treaty. 1t would be disastrous
commercially and financially. IL
would put us at an enormous disad-
vantage in our international relations
not only with Germany but with those
nations which we would thus desert.
They would remain bound together by
ties of mutual interest. They would
enjoy the benefits of the treaty and
would not be slow to take every ad-
vantage of them. They would resent
our desertiOn.
up to this point, l have discussed
the possible defeat of the treaty by
means of proposed amendments to 1t.
Inut lS tle Tedl pTOSIulh anu hopS VA
the majority of the committee on for
eign relations. II Is for that purpose
that the treaty has been locked up in
cold storage for 50 many weeks. The
enemies of the league y nations in the
senate are not many compared to its
friends, but they control the commit
tee, holding useless hearings and
making killing amendments with the
full knowledge that amendments
would beat the treaty just as effec-
lively as refusal 10 ratify.
"a few, very few, senators have
declared that they would vote against
the treaty because Of the league OF
nations, but It has remained for the
senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Knox
to declare boldly against our PARTED
patton in the treaty settlement.
"To say that he has amazed the
country Is to put it mildly-he has
shocked the country.