The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-06
SEzANTUNG AND LEAGUE BITTERLY CRITICISED
 IN SENATE YESTERDAY
Lansing to Be Questioned Today When HeWill Like ly Be Asked to Disclose Many Features of NegO- tiations at Versailles
By Assoclstsd Press

Washington August 5.-The
 league of nations and the
 Shantung settlement both came
 in for more bitter criticism to-
 day in the Senate's consider
 ation of the treaty with Ger
 many.
 At public hearing of the foreign rela-
 cions committee issues of the league con
 troversy started a dispute which bordered -un an uproar, and in the Senate cham
 by Senator Watson, republican, Indiana,
 developed a series of sharp exchanges.
 The committees clash over the league
 grew out Of the examination of Norman
 Davis, 8 financial adviser to the Yer sailles peace conference, and centered in
 a heated discussion of the attitude of
 President Wilson toward supplying the committee with adequate information.
 PRESIDENTS OFFER IGNORED
 Chairman Lodge, replying to sug- gestion that the President be asked to come before the committee, declared MT. Wilson never had offered to do so, and had failed to send important information
 repeatedly asked for Senator Pittman, democrat, Nevada. replied that in his. ad dress to congress such an offer had been
 made, but that the committee majority
 had ignored it
 Once the subject of the league had been raised, league opponents gave a forecast of what may develop when Secretary
 Lansing appears before the committee
 tomorrow by keeping the witness under
 running fire of questions relating to provisions of the covenant. It was when
 Mir. Davis declined to pose as an ex pert on the subject, and in reply to question, suggested that the President be consulted, that the committee members clashed over MT. Wilson's course in the matter.
 Under present plans the questioning of the Secretary of State tomorrow will be in open session, and it is expected he will be asked to disclose many features | of the Versailles negotiations, with the l league covenant and Shantung occupying l a prominent place in the discussions, The Senate adjourned tonight until Thurs | day.s so tomorrow's committee session may I be YminIerruptod.
 INDUSTRIOUS PROPOSITION 1 Senator Watson in his Senate speech
 declared the treaty provision giving Japan 1 control in the Shantung province was as monstrous a proposition as has ever been proposed to civilizat;on,'' and said he could not vote for ratification if the Shantung section remained unamended, | and if Japan gave no more definite prom i ise of restoring the province to China. l In reply to question from Senator
 Borah, republican. Idaho, as to what ! sort of declaration from Japan would be
 satisfactory, the Indiana senator said | it would have to be one providing for withdrawal of Japanese forces prior to | the Senate's action on the treaty. l Japan's claim to the province, Mir Wat son asserted, was based one wrong heaped upon another, while the history of Jap anese interests in China gave the lie to | Japan's protestations of good faith in l her promise to withdraw.
 1 Senator Hitchcock. democrat Nebraska. asked to what court China should bring | her claims should the treaty and the | league of nations fail. In that case, MT 1 Watson replied, China would have to /! fall back on the moral support she always had received here and elsewhere in past 1 times: when we had an American TOT President who thought of America nrst. | LAD DA1AS A~D . 1 Senator Lodge said he understood that | within two hours of 1.-the signing of the i treaty at Versailles, the Chinese dele
 gates had offered to sign if assured they
 would have the right to bring the shang- 1 tung case before the league later, but 1 that ''even that was denied them. | The objection that the special defensive treaty with France violates the federal constitution by binding Congress to de- | clare war in certain circumstances was ] expressed in resolution introduced dur 1 ing the day by Senator Newberry re- publican, Michigan. It would direct the Judiciary committee to give an opinion ias to whether there are constitutional obstacles t., ratification.
 I Senator Lodge gave notice today that ! he would address the Senate next Tues day on the league. As the leader or the opposition to acceptance of the covenant i in it's present form he is expected to sound the keynote of the fight against un- I reserved ratification.
 1 The statement from Tokio regarding ! Iapan's intentions in Shantnng reached i, Washington too late to receive the at ltention of senators tonight. It is expected 1 to have careful consideration in view
 of President Wilson's repeated statements I that the complete facts in the case would
 place the Shantung settlement In new
 light.