Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-13
PEACE TREATY PUBLICITY.

Democrats will get nowhere in their des-
perate attempts to make people believe that
publication Of the peace treaty text in this
country, after it has been made public in Ger
many, variants the charge that the senators
insisting on going behind the shroud Of se-
erecy have been assisting Germany
Out of the investigation just held, the fact
stands out boldly that copy of the treaty text
was in the possession of the head Of the biggest
banking house on Wall street, that il was not
held in any confidential character, that Senator
Lodge had seen it as he had said, that whether
this copy was circulated broadcast or was
locked up in safe, the great financial interests
were in position to know its contents while
United States senator's who are part OF the
'treaty-making machinery Of the government,
were kept in the dark.
For the democrats to say this attack upon
pretended secrecy Of the "open covenants
openly arrived atg is evidence of "venomous
partsanship" by the republican members Of the
senate foreign relations committee. misses the
mark. We hardly believe the same epithet
will be applied to a former president Of the
United, States who is pleading for acceptance
Of the treaty. but at the same time charges the
president with lack OF courtesy and tact and an
error in Judgment even though his right to
withhold THE document be conceded. A signed
statement by William Howard Taft says:
The League of Nations from the first, was
known to be part of the treaty. Indeed, in
the view of those who advocate the League
of Nations, the treaty could not have been
made without it. The president gave it to
he cs,h1;r nd 20 he thu fgl1 text
of the covenant, even as it was reported by
the committee to the conference. Subse-
quently he gave the full text of its revision II
Then there was published very full abstract
Of the peace treaty as it was submitted to the
Germans for their assent and signature. The
abstract contained 10000 words, while the text
was said to contain $4,000,
No sufficient explanation has been given
why the full text of the treaty was not given 8
out at the time the abstract came. 1t was
supposed at first that the abstract preceded
the full text because of the convenience in
transmission; II the text Of the treaty con-
tanned something the public ought not to know
until after the Germans had acted, why give
out such an abstract at all? To withhold the
text when the abstract is given out Of course
raises curiosity and suspicion as to what the
difference is between the abstract and the
text II they both had been given out at the
same time, or within a, short interval, the pub
ably not have read anything but the abstract
Only those senators and others charged with
responsibility in respect to the matter or pre-
pairing for discussion would have gone care
fully through the full text. But now that
I the text has been withheld so long, it is
natural that those opposed to the League of
Nations and the presidents course in respect
to the treaty should make much of the failure
to give out the text, and should complain
when it is discovered that the text has found
its way to New York into the hands of private
citizens, although the senate has been denied
opportunity to see it.
Mr.. Taft, who has been doing more than
any other person to enlist public support for
the presidential program, and for SO doing has
been lauded so highly in the democratic press
frankly declares that 1T was unfortunate that
such course should be taken by an admins
tration that has made so much of the necessity
for publicity. 1t has been reported that the text
was withheld at the instance of Mr.. Lloyd
George, but with no explanation of why he de-
sired to withhold it. Whatever his reason, his
request and the compliance with it were a mis-
take that merely furnishes ammunition for the
opponents of the treaty. Probably never in the
history Of our treaties have the senate and the
public been given as full opportunity to know
and discuss the controversial points of treaty
in advance of its official submission as in this
case. Yet by this last error the administration
has lost any credit attaching to such policy"
1t will not do for the democrats now to
charge "venomous partisanship" against the
republicans in this matter. The democrats have
plenty to keep themselves busy explaining why
there should be any secrecy whatever in this
day Of open diplomacy and palliating the blum
ders and errors that have brought the situation
into such mess.