Arizona republican., 1919-08-07
Republican 4. p. Leased wirel

WASHINGTON. August 6.-Secre- tary Lansing before the senate foreign relations committee today expressed the opinion that the Shantung provi- sion of the peace treaty did not square with President Wilson's enunciated principle of self determination, but maintained that the treaty as a whole carried out substantially the presi dents fourteen points.
 Declaring his unfamiliarity with many details of the peace negotiations and of the treaty itself the secretary told the committee he was unable to answer many of its questions and re- minded senators in answering others that he merely was expressing his own personal views
 Lansing Pleads Ignorance
 Ask the president" the secretary said when pressed for details of the Shantung and league of nations nego- tiations. On three of the points raised he asked permission to refresh his memory and make a statement to the committee later, and when he va; asked for a detailed construction Of the labor and reparations clauses he protested that he could not be expected to carry the minutiae of an 80,000- word document in his mind and re- minded the committee it was much easier to ask questions prepared bs- forehand' than to answer them off, hand.
 MT. Lansing said that in his opin- ion Japan probably would have signed the treaty without the Shantung pro- vision; that the United States should ask no part of German reparations; that the kaiser could not be legally tried; and that the mutual guarantee of territorial integrity from external aggression, as contained in article ten of the league covenant, imposed a mor- al obligation but not legal one.
 Fourteen Points Not Discussed
 The secretary said it was true that the IA points had not been discussed, to his knowledge, in the preparatory stages of the peace negotiations; that the American draft of the league of na tionS never was ''pressed'' before the conference; that the president had asked the peace conference not to lay before the French senate the record of discussions on the league; and that the United States did not know of secret treaties between the allies and Japan degarding Shantung when this country, by the Lansing -Ishii agree ment, recognized Japan's special in terests" in China.
 It was not true, the secretary said, that he and other members of ths American delegation protested against the Shantung settlement; that Great Britain refused to permit" dis cussion of the freedom of the seas by the peace conferences; or that any of the American expert advisers had re- signed because they disagreed with the decision regarding Shantung.
 The general basis on which the Urea " was framed, said the secretary, was common sense and general principles with an avoidance of policy and ex- pediency."
 Would Present Entire Record
 Verbatim records of the discussions. he told the committee. had been left in Paris, adding that he would not favor giving to the senate the less complete transcripts in the possession of the state department because it might cause Irritation" to other gov ernments
 Both the Shantung provision and the league covenant, the witness said. had been negotiated largely by the president who alone of the American delegates would be able to reveal de- tails of the discussions.
 The secretary was before the com. mittee during the whole of an all-day session. and although senators appar- ently had finished their questioning Of him when adjournment was taken tonight it was thought likely that other points might be brought up when he appeared again next Monday.
 Mir. Lansing asked to be given until that time to prepare his statement in reply to questions asked today about the Lansing Ishii agreement, the atti- tude of the United States towards Japan's 21 demands on China in 1915 and what part this government took .oward bringing China into the war.
 Senator Johnson recalled MT. Lan- sing had stated that American peace commissioners went on the policy tha, 'expediency should not rule principle and asked whether that policy was fol- owed as to the Shantung provision.
 ''Not entirely said Mir. Lansing.
 Lansing Evades Question
 Was the Shantung decision made in order to have Japans signatur, 10 the league of nations?"
 T really have not the facts about hat"
 Would Japan's signature to the loaUua 0f nations boue haao