The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-06-11
ROOT HAD COPY
OF THE TREATY
-
Which Had Been Given Him
by H. P. Dawson,
Financier
LATTER TESTIFIED HE
GOT 1T IN EUROPE
j. P. Morgan and Frank A.
Vanderlip Never Saw
the Treaty

Washington, d. c., June ll.-Elihu
Root to-day told the Senate foreign re-
lations committee that it was he who
showed copy of the peace treaty to
Senator Lodge.
Mr.. Root testified that he got it from
Henry P. Dawson of the Morgan bank
ing house.
Mr.. Morgan testified that he got it
from Thomas w. Lamont, another part
ner in the Morgan house, one Of the
financial advisers to the American peace
mission in Paris, but asked for it not in
his capacity as a banker, but as president
Of the international Red Cross league,
which is backed by the covenrnt of the
league of nations.
j. p. Morgan and Frank A. Vanderlip
testified they had never seen copies of
the treaty. The committee then ad-
journed the hearing for the day.
Mr.. Dawson, chairman OF the war
council of the American Red Cross, is
connected with j. p. Morgan and com
pany. Mr. Root appeared before the
committee at his own suggestion.
Chairman Lodge read a telegram from
Jacob Schff saying "he knew absolutely
nothing, directly or indirectly" regard
ing the treaty. He then called Mr.. Root
to the chair.
81 have a copy of that so.called treaty,
have had it for several weeks" Mr.. Root
said. "lt was sent TO me by II. p. Davi-
son. stand upon my right to have it.
/ assert the entire propriety of his Civ
ing it to me. He had it because of his
legitimate interests in the Red Cross, in
volved in the treaty"
Mr.. Root said he understood Mr.. Davi-
son had the copy in Paris in connection
with Red Cross affairs and brought it
away with him, there being at that
time no injunction against bringing cop
les to the United States"
Mr.. Root remarked that the German
government had made the treaty public
in detail, adding;
at thereupon became public property.
There are two parties to the negotia-
tions. Either party has the right to
make it public. No longer can any diplo-
matte secrecy attach. The German gov
ernment having the full right 20 make
public this paper made il public and it
is public.
Il should be inclined TO resent any
suggestion from anybody that / am not
entitled to it and to use ii as ] see fit,
which propose to do.
"Mr. Davison's possession was no mat
ter Of idle curiosity, but Of official duty
on the part Of the man who is abandon
ing his great business and giving his
great powers to organization and execu-
tion Of the great Red Cross activities
"Then | gather" Senator Knox inter-
jected, "that you do not consider your.
self in possession of stolen goods, OBJ
tanned by bribery, as has been charged
on the Senate foorY'
81 feel sense of strong resentment to
repel such a suggestion from any source,
Mr.. Root answered. Nothing could be
more baseless than each suggestion"
"There was nothing material in the
copy had not seen in the papers," Mr..
Root added.
imposed until after Mr.. Dawson left
Paris
II think you will find that the men
who left Paris before May Is all brought
their copies with them, he said.
Probably two or three thousand men,
he added, were engaged in drawing the
complete terms.
Henry p. Dawson testified:
81 brought to this country one copy
of the proposed treaty, but that copy
has never been read by any man except
myself and Mr. Root, so far as know" ("
The International Red Cross organi-
zation, of which he is head, was incor-
porated in the league of nations, he said.
1t was in connection with the Red
Cross, Mr.. Dawson said, that he asked
his partner, Thomas w. Lamont, for a
copy of the treaty.
II didn't feel" he continued, "that I
was doing anything more than if were
asking for copy of the Ia points. The
summary had been printed It never oc-
CURED to me that the treaty was not
public property