New Britain herald., 1919-06-11
Declares He Resents Any
 Suggestion That He Had Stolen Goods or Obtained it By Bribery.

Washington, June 11.-Elihu Rood told the senate foreign relations com mittee today that for several weeks he had 8 copy of the peace treatyS ! with Germany given him by H. PA Davison. MT. DaVison, chairman of the wark council of the American Red CrosH is connected with J. P. Morgan andf Co. MT. Root appeared before thel committee at his own suggestion. Chairman Lodge read @ teIegrannl from Jacob Schiff saying he knewI
 absolutely nothing directly or indf-! rectly' regarding the treaty, thenI called MT. Root to the chair. Root Receives Treaty. 1T have a copy of that so-calledl
 treaty, have had it for several weeks
 MT. Root said. Tt was sent to mel right to have 1t. I assert the entire
 propriety of his giving it to me. He| had it because of his legitimate in-I terests in the Red Cross, involved ind the treaty"
 MT. Root said he understood MT.
 Davison had the copy in Paris in connection with Red Cross affairsa and brought it away with him there being at that time no injunction against bringing copies to the United States"
 Says It Is Public Property. MT. Root remarked that the Ger man government had made the treaty 1 public in detail "thereupon it be- came public property. There are two parties to the negotiations. Either | party has the right to make it pub lie. No longer can any diplomatic secrecy attach. The German govern 1 ment having the full right to make public this paper made it public and it is public
 "I should be inclined to resent any
 suggestion from anybody that I am 1 not entitled to it and to use it as see fit which I propose to do. Rcsents Bribery Charge. MT. Davison's possession was no 1 matter of idle curiosity, but of of ticial duty on the part of the man who is abandoning his great business and giving his great powers to organ
 ization and execution of the great Red Cross activities
 Then I gather" Senator Knox in-. terjected, that you do not consider yourself in possession of stolen goods, obtained by bribery as has been charged on the senate f1oor?" 'I feel sense of strong reseny-
 ment to repel such a suggestion from any source," MT. Root answered.
 Nothing could be more baseless than such a suggestion
 Senator Lodge said the copy he had seen was shown to him by MT. Root. , Favors All Publicity MT. Root thought the United States had 1,400 men on the payroll at Paris
 and of these probably 200 or 300 had l copies of the treaty. We have contended that the sen-
 ate is entitled to a copy" said Senator Borah. Do you regard that as a cor l rect position?"
 T do. I think every American cit izen was entitled to see a copy of the paper made public by the Germant government"
 Senator Harding remarked that some newspapers were saying the treaty text did not correspond in some l respects with the summary. Summary Was Correct. T didn't notice anything which [ thought especially important was not
 in the summary" replied MT Root.
 "The copy he saw was dated April
 90 and bore the imprint of nome la-
 Dor organization"
 Do you think" asked Senator Brandegee, "any damage was done to the negotiations of the treaty by it's
 publication in the congressional rec
 ord ?"
 q think no damage could have been done,' replied MT. Root, unless it was
 through withdrawing the attention of
 the senate from the various import
 ant matters awaiting action" Won't Criticize President. When MT. Root was asked if he
 thought President Wilson had acted properly in not consulting the senate
 more closely he said: "The president exercised his consti- tutional power and I do not want to criticize him. It would have facilitat- ,, ed public business and made progress towards d solution of a treaty satis- factory to the American people" But it was not his duty?' asked Senator Williams.
 No"
 ''There was nothing material in the copy I had not seen in the papers " MT. Root added.
 Knowledge is Widespread. He said he believed secrecy was moi, Continued on Third Page) !,