The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-09-16
AN AMENDED TREATY NOT
BINDING ON GERMANY
Report Minority Senate Committee
on Treaty Strongly Against Any
and All Amendments.

and All Amendments.
Washington, Sept. 11.-Rejection
of the peace treaty with it's league
of nations covenant or adoption of
amendment would mean sacrifice by
the United States of all concessions
obtained from Germany under die
tated peace, minority members of the
foreign relations committee declared
in report presented today to the
senate.
The report prepared by Senator
Hitchcock of Nebraska, ranking Dem
ocratic member of the committee,
urged speedy ratification of the
treaty without amendments or res
ervations. 1t deplored ''the long
and unnecessary delay to which the
treaty has been subjected while lock-
ed up in the committee whose recon-
mendations were from the start a
foregone conclusion" and, asserted
these recommendations could have
been made in July.
Senator Shields, Democrat, of
Tennessee, did not sign the report,
having announced he favored league
covenant reservations prepared by
Chairman Lodge. It was stated he
would not present separate report.
Those signing in addition to Senator
Hitchcock were Senators Williams,
Mississippi; Swanson, Virginia; POM
creme, Ohio; Smith, Arizona; Pitt
man, Nevada, all Democrats.
The majority denied the claim put
forth in Chairman Lodges report that
the peace conference still was in ses-
sion and has power t'to bring German
representatives to Paris" saying
such power of compulsion had been
exhausted, and that Germany chad
closed the chapter by signing and by
ratlfylng.
Amended Treaty Not Binding.
eff an amended treaty is not sign.
ed. by Germany" the report added,
s1then it is in none of it's parts bind
ing on her."
The report mentioned twelve con-
cessions the United States would lose
by failure to ratify the treaty, these
including industrial and economic
advantages and agreements.
Reservations proposed by the ma
jority, the report said, were "for the
purpose of destroying the league"
which has stood 'the test of world
wide criticism and unlimited at
tack"
fhe minority urged that the work
of the peace conference be confirmed
and the peace of the world advanced
by ratification of the treaty described
as the best hope of the world "even
If like all instrumentalities it be not
divinely perfect in every detail"
The report contended that the in
dustrial world was Gin ferment," the
financial world in doubt, and COM
merce halted while delay in the
treaty had been caused ''by the ma
jority of committee known to be
out of harmony with the majority OF
the senate and the majority Of the
people" This was declared to be-
government by obstruction as well as
by minority.
Export Trade Suffers.
Export trade, the report said, had
suffered because Of delay in ratifica-
ton; that private credit waited for
peace, and that this government,
which has been advancing to Euro
pean governments, has about reached
the end of it's authority given it by
congress. Private enterprise, it said,
from now on must keep up American
commerce with Europe. Answering
the majority, the report said exports
to Germany since the armistice
amounted to only fourteen cents
worth of American products for each
person in Germany, or two cents per
NOV ,,oon+h
Referring to the action of the ma
jority of the committee" said the re-
port, "we unite in opposing and con-
demning the recommendations both
as to textual amendments and as to
the proposed reservations. AS far as
the proposed textual amendments are
concerned, we see no reason to dis
cuss their character at length. In our
opinion, they have no merit, but
whether they be good, bad or indif-
ferent their adoption by the senate
can have no possible effect, except