The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-06-20
ASSAILS KNOX
RESOLUTION
Uncalled for Effort by the
Senate to Dictate to the
Peace Conference
ONLY ENEMIES TO
ON COMMITTEE
Discussion of League Starts
Heated Political Clash
in the Senate

Washington, d. c., June 20.-Adoption
of the Knox resolution regarding the
league of nations and the peace treaty
would be interrupted as an uncalled for
effort by the Senate to dictate to the
peace conference, Senator Thomas, Dem
ocrat, Colorado, said yesterday in
opposing the measure. The Colorado sem
ator declared the proposal that the SEN
ate declare itself against acceptance of
the league as now intertwined with the
peace terms was improper and unwise.
Before Senator Thomas spoke, Sena-
tor Spencer, Republican, of Missouri,
who had not previously indicated his
views regarding the league of nations, in
troduced resolution proposing that the
Senate declare that under any league
plan adopted application of the Monroe
doctrine must be reserved entirely for
national determination. The resolution
went over without action.
The Spencer resolution would declare
also that the United States cannot bind
itself in advance to either make war in
the future or send its army and navy
into other lands for purposes of CONTROL
Senator Thomas, in opening his adj
dress on the Knox resolution, declared
the measure readjusted fundamental
questions regarding the power of the
Senate in treaty making and also of ex-
pedieney of any expression by the SEN
ate.
81 believe it is not only improper for
the Senate to adopt or reject it," he
said, 'but it is also unwise, at this time,
to go on record regarding it. As part
Of the treaty making power, we should
not attempt at this time to advise the
peace congress at Paris, either Of our
own views concerning its work or as to
what the treaty should contain"
Replying to Senator Knox charges
that the Democrats had made the league
party issue, Senator Thomas cited
the robin of the last session against the
league ION which the name of the Re
publican leader led all the rest" Demo
cratic senators, Mr.. Thomas said, were
given no opportunity to sign the docu-
ment.
"The Republicans" he continued, shave
reorganzed this Senate. They have
thoroughly reorganized the committee
on foreign relations. 1t is an open Sc
cret that no senators except enemies of
the league of nations were eligible to
membership on that committee"
Senator Pomerene, Ohio, Democratic
member OF the committee, interrupted to
remark that the Republicans also were
mot satisfied until they had given them
selves a majority Of three on the com
mitteee" and Senator Williams, Demo-
crat, of Mississippi charged any Repub-
liean to deny chat the committee had
been stacked against the league"
The charge started a partisan clash so
heated that Vice President Marshall re-
peatedly sdmonished senators against
breaking the rules. Senator Moses of
New Hampshire, a new Republican mem
Der of the committee, said his selection
to membership had been stacked against
the president only in the sense that he
is a Democrat and / am a Republican"
NO" shouted Senator Williams, "you
have stacked against the hope of world
peace as well as against Democratic
president You have left on it only one
Republican fayoring the league, Mr.. Me-
Cumber of North Dakota, and the rea-
son you left him was because you didn't
dare take him off,"
Senator Mccormick, Republican, 1lli-
nos, declared it might also be said that
"the peace commission TO Paris was
stacked with Democrats ready to bow to
the will of the chief executive"
Senator Williams replied that the Par
is conference at least had done its work,
while the Republican senators through
the Knox resolution "were asking for
time to think when, if you had any ca
pacity to think at all, you'd have
thought long ago"
Pointing out that the Knox resolution
was preceded by virtually unanimous
adoption by the Senate of the Borah res
olution requesting hearing at the peace
conference for representatives of the So
called Irish republic, Senator Thomas
said; "The effect of that resolution alone
was embarrassing to our delegation. 1t
is in direct conflict with the principles
of the Knox resolution. We didn't 90
into this war to secure independence for
the Irish Sim Feiners," he declared, add
| ing that the element for whose represen-
tatives hearing was asked 'conspired
with Germany and attempted to disrupt
the British empire during the war"