The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-07-18
WILSON and SENATE
LEADERS IN CLASH
President Asked To Lay
Bare Secrets OF
Conference

Washington, July 1i.-UpOn the
question OF the right Of the President
10 keep locked within his own mind
all the secret history of the peace
conference has arisen the first clash
snotwoon the administration and the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
majority of the committee today
demanded all the information in the
Presidents possession about these
three subjects:
First-Why was the award of the
Shantung Peninsula to Japan made,
and is it true that Secretary Lansing
General Bliss and Henry White pro-
tested on behalf of the American dele
cation at Paris against it?
Seconds it true that Japan en-
tered into a secret treaty with Ger
many for the partition of Russia, and
what were the real relations between
Japan and Germany during the war?
Third Why is Nicaragua permit
ted to invade Costa Rica, and why
was Costa Rica not permitted to sign
The peace treaty at Versailles?
Demand Record of Meetings.
The committee has under the con-
sidcration a resolution by Senator
Johnson of Califrnia. demanding the
fun stcuographic record of the meet
ings of the Big Five and the other
commissioners at which the League Of
Nations was considered and agreed
upon. This resolution probably will
be- adopted by the committee to-
morrow
This controversy practically con-
sumoi an the time of the committee
This morning. Administration Scua-
tors. apparently rejecting the Prcsi-
t.outs own position in the matter,
stuhhouly opposed an the attempts
adopted by the Republican majority
40 have the veil OF secrecy torn aside
that she committee might know the
inside history of an the peace con-
ference transactions.
The position taken by the Demo-
cratic members OF the committee is
that the committee has no right to in
quirc into any of the reasons which
led to the adoption of specific provi-
sins in the treaty. They contend that
such information in the possession of
the President is confidential and
should not be inquired into.
The Republicans contend that the
President went to Paris as a delegate
from the United States to the peace
conference and that the Foreign Rea-
tions Committee is not bound to re-
spect any confidence that may exist
between him and other'parties to the
conference. They assert the cOnsti-
tutiOnal right of the committee to in
Quire into the reasons for any pro-
vision in the treaty regarding which
they may desire information.
The majority members of the COM
mittee emphasized their belief in the
!. soundness of this view by passing the
SLaFOllctte resolution regarding Costa
Rica, the Lodge resolution asking for
the truth about the alleged secret
treaty between Japan and Germany
and the Borah resolution inQuiring
about the reported protests of three
members of the American peace dele
cation against the Shantung decision. 4
The vote on the BOrah resolution was
9 to I. and on the Lodge resolution
L. to 2, Senators Hitchcock and
Swanson, leaders of the administra-
tion fight for the league voting no" ,
Position Of Republicans. /
Senator Johnson cmmented upon
the situation in the committee in the
folloWin" language;
"There is fundamental difference
between the Democrats and the Re- .
publicans on the committee. The /
Democrats take the position that any
thing which transpired at the peace
conference leading up to the adoption
of the treaty is confidential and that
the President should not be asked to
tell about it. The majority of the
committee declare that there can be
no question of confidence between the
President and the Foreign Relations
Committee, that the President went to
Paris merely as our commissioner and
that the committee has the cOnstitu-
tional right to know everything that
went ON there between him and the
other commissioners
Senator Knox. former secretary Of
State. and attorney general, made
similar comment, holding that the
6aa,l.ftee has the right tC ask for
full information and that there can
be nothing in the possession OF the