The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-06-11
BY J. BART cAa1PHELx
STAFF CORRESPONDENT !. N. .srRyIe!

STAFF CORRESPONDENT |. N. SERViCEl
WASHINGTON,s June Iii. p.
Morgan and Henry P. Dawson, of
the Morgan banking house, ap-
peared today before the senate for
eign relations committee when it
resumed its probe of Senator
Borah's charges that copies of the
peace treaty had fallen into the
possession of certain American
financial interests before the SEN
ate had access 10 the voluminous
document.
Elihu Root, former senator and
secretary of state. entered the COM
mittec room almost Immediately
when Morgan and Dawson arrived.
REvrvEs A REPORT.
Roots appearance revived the report
that Il was he who recently placed
copy OF the peace treaty in Senator
Lodges hands in New York city. IT
was stated that he had volunteered to
testify before the committee.
Frank A. yanderlip. former president
of the National City Bank OF New York
City. showed UP just before Senator
Lodge as chairman of the committee,
opened the hearing.
Lodge began by reading a telegram
from Jacob Fl. schin OF Kuhn Loeb g.
Co. In which het"begged to be excused"
from appearing before the committee.
EooT FrRsT on STAND.
Former Senator Root was the nrst
witness called. Senator Lodge explain
ing that Root had volunteered TO appear
as witness. and had TO take an early
train back to New York.
Before the hearing began Root chat
red with Morgan and Dawson as the
three sat together on a big leather
lounge on the side lines"
Elihu Root. the hrst witness called.
admitted having copy OF the treaty.
The publication OF the purpose Of
the committee to inquire into the pos
session Of copies OF the draft treaty
with Germany led me to feel that il was
proper for me to come here and give
the committee certain knowledge which
! have" Root said. Il have copy OF
that treaty and have had it for several
weeks II was sent to me by Mr.. Henry
p Dawson. OF the Red Cross he con-
tinued.
II stand upon my right to have H. I
deny that anyone can question that
right I assert the entire propriety Of
my having il and his giving il TO me
He had 1t because or his connection
with the Red Cross. He had il in Paris
and brought it away with him. there
being no injunction against bringing 1t
to the United States. | understand that
there has since been an injunction.
1T was not a secret document in any
sense OF the word. It had been publish
ed in substance in our country. The
league Of nations part had been pub
lished in full and the labor part also. "
Root continued
The paper was presented to the Ger
man delegates early in May and they
almost Immediately made IL public in
full and II thereupon became public
property. There are always two parties
TO diplomatic negotiations and either
party can make the matter public. The
German government having the entire
right to make this paper public and it
is public I rather resent that | have
not the right 10 have the treaty and to
use it, / intend to use it,
Il feel competent TO say to the COM
mittee that the relations of the Red
Cross to the revision Of the interna-
tionaI relations that Mr.. Davison's pos
session OF that paper was no idle curl
osity, but was duty on the part of a
man who has abandoned his business
and conferred an estimable benefit upon
the good name Of the American people.
AZ this point Senator Knox interrupt
ed:
Mr.. Root. / gather that you want 10
CONTINUED on page nine.)