The sun., 1919-10-25
SENATOR SHIELDS
ATTACKS LEAGUE
Democrat Surprises His Col
leagues by Opposition to
Treaty.
ASSAILS BRITISH VOTE
Declares States of Union Are
More Entitled to ENJOYS
Than Are Dominions.
'ASSAILS BRITISH VOTE
spsc,a, Desposch TO THE Sun.

WASHINGTON, Oct. "a. - Senator
Shields (Tenn.), the Democratic men,
Der Of the Foreign Relations Committee.
whose persistence during the last few
days in voting with the Republican ma
jority of the committee In favor of the
drastic treaty reservation programme
has brought him into bad odor with the
extreme administration agents, to-day
made one of the remarkable speeches of
the treaty debate.
. Mr.. Shields's course has been more a
shock to thick and thin Administration
supporters because his antagonism to
the treaty did not develop until a COM
paratively recent date. For a long time
after the discussions began he was not
suspected OF being of the reservation.
Then bits of his correspondence with
constituents at home began to gain pub
licity. and he fell under suspicion Of
being weak in his support of the Ad-
ministration programme.
1t was not, however, until the reserva-
ton programme came before the commit
tee that he completely demonstrated his
opposition. His speech to-day was nom-
inally a defence of the johnson amend
ment, but was listened to with keen
concern. The address was recognized as
a defence OF his position on the treaty
and a defiance to his critics in and out
OF the Senate.
Assails British Vote.
Senator Shields in the earlier part Of
his address devoted himself largely to
an explanation of how the dispropor-
tionately large representation OF the
British Empire in the league would af-
feet the entire organization. He dis
cussed the British constitution and the
development over a long period ot rela-
tions between the mother country and
the Dominions. His purpose was to show
that there Is no chance OF such division
of interest or loyalty among the parts
OF the empire as will ever cause the
dependencies to break away on any i'm
portant question: The system under
which all foreign relations and diplo-
matte communications on behalf OF the
dependencies are handled through the
London government, the veto power of
the King. and the uniform loyalty OF
the Dominions through generations. were
analyzed from both the constitutional
and the historic viewpoint.
Coming to the Johnson amendment
specifically. with Its demand that the
United States have equal representation
with the Empire, the Senator said:
for representation In the League Of Ma
tions by the dominions and colonies
came from them and that the British
Empire did not really favor 1t. What
ever the representatives of the Empire
NAV have said on this subject. cannot
believe they looked with disfavor on the
prospect of having five additional votes
for their government ] can readily see
British diplomacy and astuteness in al
lowing the colonies to make the demand
as In their own interest. and fear that
thcse. who believe the parent country
was not behind them are not fully in
formed Of the aggressive foreign policy
| Of the British statesmen and diplomats
to obtain every political and commercial
advantage possible in all treaties en-
| tered into by them.
DominiOns Honor Britain.
II attach little weight to the argu-
| ment advanced that those overseas do
| minions, especially Canada, would prob
| nj 70 ha ut