The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-09-13
JOHNSON AssA|LS
DUPL|C|TY OF THE
ALLIED NATIONS
Says It Is Example Unparalleled
in History
SPEECHES IN ST. LOUIS
Claims Representatives of Powers Ad-
dressed Congress with Pockets
Full Of Secret Treaties

St Louis, Sept. 12.-Trailing Pres.
ident Wilson through the middle
West, presenting arguments opposing
the ratification of the league of ma
tions covenant. Senator Hiram w.
Johnson of California, today ad-
dressed two large and enthusiastic
audiences in ST. Louis. At noon he
spoke to gathering of business men
at the City club. Tonight he ad-
dressed a large mass-meeting at the
coliseum, where President Wilson
spoke when he visited St. Louis week
ago. At the night meeting Senator
Johnson was introduced by DR.. John
III. Simon, prominent democrat
In his plea for the defeat of the
league of nations in its present form
Senator Johnson described the treaty
of peace as patchwork OF the Sc
cret treaties made between the allies,
unknown to America, before and dur.
ing the war and challenged the recent
declaration of the president that fail
ure to concur in the settlement of the
would put stain upon our national
homer which we never could efface."
Does the president intend to say
that 1t will put stain upon our hon
or if we do not carry out the secret
bargainings which were, with du-
plicity unparalleled in the worlds his.
tory concealed from us?' asked the
senator.
He described the visits to this coun-
ru "a r
the diplomatic representatives of Eng
land. France, Italy and Japan. In
the full flush OF a righteous indigna
tion against a ruthless enemy, we were
bending every energy in behalf of a
just cause said Senator Johnosn.
Before the United States Senate, in
terms as idealistic as those we en-
ployed /, Mr.. Balfour for England, Mr..
Viviani for France, Italy's Prince and
Japan's representative spoke. Until
they came no foreigner had ever stood
upon the rostrum of the United States
Senate since Lafayette's visit While
these representatives of the four great
powers were speaking to us upon the
same plane, upon which we were act
ing and appealing to the same lofty
sentiments and altrustic purposes
their very pockets were bulging with
the secret treaties they had made
among themselves for the partition of
the world and the distribution of the
the spoils of the war.
During all the period that they
were with us not single one divulged
to our government or to any repre.
sentative of the treaties they had
made, a half dozen in number, and
which they had then determined to
write into the ultimate treaty of peace
Ihe president said with postiveness
at the recent meeting of the foreign
relations committee he had never even
heard of these secret treaties until he
went to Paris. The secretary of state
testified in like fashion. Indeed in
1917, while the treaty between the
tOur great nations in relation not only
10 Shantung, but the isles of the
Pacific, safely reposed in their achiyes.
Viscount lshii, the representative of
Japan, concluded with our secretary
OF state an agreement by which the
united States government recognized
! the special interests of Japan in China
During those negotiations" contin.
ued the senator, mot word was said.
net a syllable was lisped while we
We're pouring out our blood and our
treasure, not hint of suggestion
While we were announcing to the world
our peace policies of the secret parti.
ton of lands in Europe, Asia and
Africa. The words we uttered as to
our purposes in the war, the principles
we laid down upon which peace should
be concluded. We're re-echoed and as
sented to by those very powers with
whom we were fighting side by side"