The sun., 1919-06-12


document. 1t hAd been published II
substance by our own Government. TIL,
League of Nations part had been pub
lished In full and the labor organization
part. I have a copy of that as dis
trlbuted to the labor organizations II
this country, bearing date April 80 last
1.-THE German peace terms, whicl
made up the rest OF the treaty. hat
been made public through summar!
ana resume, which l understand anC
believe to have been correct, but tina
is not all. The paper was presented
to the German delegates early In Mai
and they Immediately or almost imne
diately made 1t public in full and |
thereupon became public property.
''rhere are always two or more partie,
90 a diplomatic negotiation and either
party has the right 10 make the docu
ment public. II either party does It car
no longer have any diplomatic secrecy
attached to II. The German Government
had full right, made II public and IL Ii
published. I should be little inclined
20 resent Tho suggestion Of anybody that
am not entitled to have It and to use
q a. see At, as / propose to do.
UphoIds Davison's Right.
"I have been long interested and IA.
miliar with the affairs OF the Red Cross
held an official position in connection
with It, have been long familiar with
the workings of the international con-
ventions by which the Red Cross wat
created and feel competent TO say that
the relations OF the Red Cross to the
revision of the international. relations
among the civilized nations through this
f.
session of that paper was no matter OF
idle curiosity but was a matter of Off
cial duty on the part OF a man who
abandoning his great business and CIV
ing his great powers with absolute de-
votion to Red Cross activities, has con-
ferred an inestimable benefit upon the
ALLIES and upon the good name and
credit of the American people,"
81 gather" suggester Senator Knox
tPa), that you desire to be understood
that you are not In possession of stolen
property, probably obtain by bribery, as
has been charged on the floor OF the SEN
ate against those who had possession Of
the treaty"
81 repel any such suggestion" re-
piled Mr.. Root, but feel a strong re-
sentiment at being required to repel II
Nothing could be more baseless. OF
course 1t is possible that any paper may
come into hands not entitled to II. bu'
] do no feel that I am here to plead
to a charge of that kind. and know
that you. Senaor Knox. do not mean to
imply that am.
''Mr. Dawson with an unselfish devo.
ton that is beyond all praise FOR two
years had been putting at the service OF
the country an ability and labor that we
cannot be too grateful for. 1t became
his duty to keep track OF the new rela-
tons which the Red Cross was to as
eume toward the world. So he was
entitled to that treaty. and when the
treaty became public property he was
entitled to show 1t to me.
Substance Was Accurate.
sand was very much obliged to him
because 1 am deeply interested In some
questions which 1t was more convenien,
TO study with the printed copy than II
Is through newspaper publications, al
though there was nothing / recall in the
copy of the treaty that he gave me
that 1 had not seen also in substance and
adequately in newspaper publications.
Here Senator Williams asked: "Did
you find anything In the treaty which
was not substantially correctly reported
in the summary"
Mr.. Root replied: ct did not compare
the summary OF the League of Nationf
provisions or the summary Of the labor
organizations provisions with the treaty
because 1 had had previously the taxi
on those.
''The only thing which compared
was the part IF the treaty which re.
lated to the terms to Germany. I found
nothing OF Substance of which had moi
been advi.SeS already by the summary
though thew may be some things
overlooked
Senator Hitchcock interrupted. ''Mr
Root" ~ said. this investigation has
been ordered to look into charges by
Senators Lodge and Borah. might read
from tie resolution as indicating briefly
what % Mr.. Borah's charge:
Whereas the Senator from Idaho
(Ass. Borah) has stated In the Sem
ate that certain interests in the city
e. New York have secured copies OF,
the peace treaty with Germany while
che American people have been un-
able TO secure one.
"whereas the Senator from Idaho
(Mr. Borah) has stated that the in
terests now having possession of said
copies of said treaty are peculiarly
Interested in the treaty" &c.
Lodge Also Explains.
~fherefore the Senate ordered the In
vestigation. The Implication Ia thai
these interests which have procured pos
session of the treaty were using 1t fol
:lIegitimate and private purposes. I un
derstand you to say that the Interest
which you represented and from which
Sou procured your copy was the Red
Cross. which had legitimate interest II
the treaty.
"I want to call your attention to thu
fact that was referring to those inter
ests which had an illegitimate interest
as indicated by Senator Borah wher
tho names Of witnesses were given BY
Senator Borah your name was not In
Guided. nor the Red Cross. AS I under
stand It, you are a voluntary witness
who comes to assist the committee. ant
you say that the interest from which
you procured the treaty was a public
and patriotic interest and had no privat,
concern In the matter. want TO intro
duce that in reply to the inference Sena
tor Knox wishes to draw"
II want to make a correction" de