The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-10-11
Senator Hitchcock So Charac-
terizes Senator Knox's At
tack On the Peace
Treaty
INSANE FOREIGN POLICY
Amendment or Defeat Of the
Treaty Would Be CONNER
c;aI and Financial Disaster
For America, Says Nebraska
Senator

washington tSpeclal) - ltecldFlii&
that any amendment to the treaty of
pence, good or bad, reasonable or un-
reasonable, means the defeat OF the
treaty with all its disastrous conse-
quences, Senator Hitchcock OF Nebras-
ka made 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 leaseholds. He has also
shown that Great Britain and France
are under pledge to Japan to stand by
her In her claim, and he has challenged
the supporters OF the proposed amend
ment to show how China can possibly
be benefited unless, when we reject Ja-
pans promises, we proposed to go 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 it concerns China and the dan
ger that it 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
90 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 amendments" He
pointed out that Great Britain has al
ready ratified the treaty and is under
Nledge to Japan with reference to
Shantung; that France is soon to rat
lily the treaty and is under the same
pledge to Japan.
Does anyone suppose that Japan
herself would submit to such hunlli-
alton before the eyes of the world?''
asked Hitchcock. ''rhe answer Is sim
pie he asserted We would find our
selves out In the cold, isolated from
the rest Of the world.
what, then, will the United States
do? What will those American states
men propose who stand for this method
OF killing the treaty? Some Of them
will say that Congress can pass Joint
resolution declaring a state of peace
with Germany. Others say the United
States can negotiate separate and In
dependent treaty of peace with Ger
many. Those who talk this way evil
IDENTIFY have no conception Of the euor-
nous benefits and advantages which
the United States derives from this
treaty which we wrdng from Germany
at the lannon's mouth. Neither have
they any conception of the difficulties
Involved in negotiating new treaty
with Germany TO establish the terms
OF peace and settle the controversies
OF the war.
ITO my mind 1t would be suicidal
for the United States to throw away
the advantages and benefits provided
In this treaty. It would be disastrous
commercially and financially. 1t would
put us at an enormous disadvantage
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 fake every advantage of
them. They would resent our deser-
lion
up to this point, / have discussed
the possible defeat of the treaty by
means of proposed amendments to 1T.
That is the real program and hope OF
the majority of the committee on for
eign relations, 1t is for that purpose
that !he tranty has been locked UP in
cold storage for 50 many weeks. The
enemies Of the League Of Nations In
the Senate are not many compared To
Its friends, but they control the COM
mittee. They have felt justified In re-
taining the treaty in the conlmittee,
holding useless hearings and making
killing amendments with the full
knowledge that amendments would
beat the treaty just as effectively as i
refusal to ratlfy.
"A few, i very few, Senators have
declared THAT they would vote against
tile treaty because Of the League of
Nations, but It mas remained for the
Senator from Pennsylvania (Alr.) Knox