Norwich bulletin., 1919-10-13


 son administration yesterday by Sena for Brandegee- The senator expressed The view that secretiveness. always g notable characteristic in the activities of the administration which had pro- claimed an era of pitiless publicity was a fixed habit without excuse or reason Incidentally. Mir. Brandegee raised the question Of the genuineness Of the recent presidential signatures attached to executive documents ar rived at the capitol
 Mir Brandegee-s observations were inspired. h.. 2 recent experience which he described in connection with an eff tnrf To get hiEf.~ important informa ton concerning she Japanese program for absorbing control of the transpor- rz-icn system of China An American railway engineer, Paul " hitman was sent to the Orient by the department CT commerce to study the transporta- -Io1 problem of China He made re- port which Senator Brandegee assert cd was Of the utmost interest and inn pcrtance for its illumination of the Shsntuns features of the treaty of ucace-
 ThI- report was made to the depart ucnI vf commerce. but when Senator B-snde=ce applied to that department For cop. of it he was informed that f- had been turned over to the depart ucut of state. and application to that department was met with the state uclr from Secretary Lansing that the department had not approved the re- pOr1 and could not give it publicity
 Then the senate adopted by unani- Dcus vote 2 resolution calling on the D ident Tor r'le document. and this N.s~ refused Y . the statement by the 7csident that tI.e public interest would not be conserved by such transmits sEou- Sena tor Frandegee expressed he opinion that the department of state had no right to extend it's cloak 2f diplomatic confidence over the bus
 ness of ether departments and thus prevent congress from knowing what hey were doing He -saI A -Mr- Paul Whitman. a skilled rail- road engineer. was sent to China by the d. - -tnent Of commerce to study snd rep, - on the railroad situation in that counTS- He made a voIuminous and noteW orthy report, of special in- Icrest nov because we are dealing sirh the province of Shantung- whose -tndustrial development and railroad -zci1ties largely dominate the trans 7o-tzrion and industrial situation on -hins- On Aug fl l requested the secretary of commerce to send me a -cpy Of this report He replied that | Nzs no longer in his possession, having been turned over to the de- he rame res,uesr to the state depart neisl and il W . refused with this siafement-
 Inc report n1s never received the approval Of the department for it's tendency Is such that this department is nc- disocsed to give it circulatio under circumstances which might be o7sd ucd as implying any responsi- isilIt< for it~ conclusion The proposal rr1to< led in the report has further been confused in some quarters with certain matters now under ne-
 ---tlt-.- -n CnJna- I hayes obtained for you an advance copy of the report 7n thc railways of China prepared by WE hi conSl.Srzfion of the question Of con -ciidaHn= unifyin= the railways of China This report is not yet ready Tor distribution to the public but will of tho present month I venture to nope that l. will give you the infor- nation for which you are seeking
 ROBERT LANSING.'
 This treaty proposes to transfer a great Chinese province to foreign =mpire and we are asked 10 assent to -rr continued Mir Brandegee. Tt =eems Germzne for us to know at least what constitutes the province of Snantunz and how II is related to the treat empire to whose dismemb ber- r1enr we are asked to be a party The department Of commerce has this re- po-r which II secured 10 aid American commerce. The minute. it is diScov- cred in the department of. commerce il Is grabbed by the state department and put under the seal of diplomatic secrecy. On Sept II Senator Lodge introduced 2 resolution asking the transmission Of this report to the sen ate It was unanimously adopted on that day. but no attention whatever was paid to it and three weeks later Mir Lodge called attention to the fact A few days later this message from the president was received by the senate
 Tn response to the resolution adopted by the senate Sept Il, 1sfs h-1~ An -zr-w- r.< z~7 r1a T1 tr1 IS hereby requested to send to the senate a copy. of the report made by Mir Paul N hitman on naturalization Of transportation in China am constrained to say that after. a thor pugh consideration of the resolution and with every desire to meet the wishes of the senate I am of the be- lief that the public interests would not be conserved by the transmission to the senate of the report requested
 The senate" Senator Brandegee re- stunned. 'one-han the treaty involving ? question with which this report to a department which does not have inc right to decline senate requests for documents the senate Is not per nzftted to see this report wonder boE many senators think the presi dent has read that report or given it a --t-orouzh consideration I have seen the original signature of the president r,s that communication do not know whether anything can be done about 1hi< matter.
 @Whzt difference does it make whether MT Lancing approves this re- -cr- or not- Is MT Lansing 8 branch cf the treaty making power? There is 10 question about the senate Has it -o-7~ to the point wherein the consid --ztion of a great new world order and treaty involving many nations. re- rcrrs bearing on vital questions arc ro be seized from other departments by the department of state and denied 10 ehe senate under the seal of diplO nzfic secrecy It was not a dipio- .uatic question. the investiga ton was made br business agency of the gov -rrmert- The secretary of state pre- suraed .o invade another department