The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-10

again at some length that Senator
Borah ought to have notified the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations at its sitting
earlier in the day that he had a copy of
4 the treaty and given the committee OPP
portunity to ascertain that II was au-
| thentic The committee, he said, had
agreed that in conducting It's investiga-
ton Of the leak 1t would not give public
lily to the treaty text; and ne insisted
that this was the only proper view of the
matter. 1t was true, he admitted. that
| Mr.. Borah had refused TO be bound by
the agreement not to make It public.
But as the committee after due consid-
Grafton had decided not to publish the
| text he felt that that decision should be
adhered to. He hoped that Mr.. Beck
hams motion to reconsider the vote by
which permission had been given to print
the treaty in the Record would prevail.
Chamberlain Urges Publication.
Here Senator Chamberlain (Ore) in
jected Into the discussion some observa-
| tons which gave no inconsiderable
worry to his colleagues on. the Demo-
cratic side. Mr.. Chamberlain has been
for some time regarded as one of the
Democrats who might finally decide to
vote against ratification of the League
| VI ANdtlOHS COnNeHduL, lie mas
refrained from committing himself on
this point and his attitude has been of
the utmost concern in view of the close
party division of the chamber.
in the beginning of this discussion -
| he said, II should have voted against
the publication of the treaty text But
as matters stand now the people are
entitled TO know what is being negoti-
ated. 1t is said that this may not be an
official copy of the text. But II the
people know 1t is not Its publication can
not interfere with the work at Paris.
J To publish Il will not make the Senate
particeps criminis 1t already has been
| published in Germany, and l make no
apology for my vote to include it in the
Record.
| There has been no question of such
| Importance before US since the adoption
| Of the Constitution. 1t has been my
Hope thatsI might vote for the creation
of League of Nations and have been
studying the question diligently. 1t may
| prove that l shall be unable to vote for
ratification of the League covenant, and
IL so 1 shall make no apology to any
| body. shall vote as my conscience
| dictates. The treaty and the League of
Nations covenant must be construed
| together. We have the covenant OF the
| League before us but not the text of the
treaty. and God Almighty Himself could
| not tell what the League covenant will
mean when the treaty. with which it is
interwined. is at last finished"
Senator Chamberlain vigorously re-
| Bented the charge that to print the
treaty would be n species OF German
propaganda, throwing a monkey wrench
into the peace making machinery.
| VIII Make His own Decision.
IF the President had taken the people
| into his confidence, in my opinion, 4
| would have been much better for an
| concerned. Now the discussion has
fallen on political lines 1t is perfectly
J useless TO deny that On the whole
the Republicans In this Chamber are
lining up against and the Democrats
| for the covenant / hope ] shall be
able to vote for a League of Nations
programme, but I shall make my own
decision on that point without con-
sulting anybody else.
Senator Poindexter (Wash) ex-
| pressed the opinion that 1t was at least
interesting that the charge of German
propaganda in this connection should
come from people who before the United
| States entered the war introduced and
supported the measure to place an en-
barge on the export of munitions OF
| war to those countries who later be-
| came our associates. This observation
resulted in the chair entering a protest
| on the ground that illusions to the
| records of Senators were liable to start
something that the Vtce-President said
| he proposed to stop. Mr.. Poindexter
was aiming at Senator Hitchcock's war
| record.
Mr.. Hitchcock reiterated that the Ger
mans were doing everything in their
| power to secure publication of tho treaty.
working through neutrals and other
wise. and for the Senate to order this
publication would be to play directly
into their hands. He pointed out that
the present text Is merely the statement
of demands flrst made upon Germany
and that to publish 1t in view OF the
fact that changes ae demanded by
Germany. that some changes already
have been made and still others may
be made, might Increase greatly the diff
Guilty Of reaching final agreement,
Brandegee Is Shocked.
Senator Brandegee Comm developed
a disposition. to inject a bit of chatting
| into the discussion. He read from the
Record some observations by Mr.. Hitch.
cock last week in which Mr.. Hitchcock
mad expressed the opinion WIN gooo
deal of vigor that II anybody had OBJ
tanned the text of the treaty he had done
It by either theft or bribery Senator
rBrandegee was much shocked at this
accusation" against the agents of the
administration. az O.
II have not been especially devoted
to the present Administration" he said
but / never dreamed OF the possibility
that 1t might be charged that its agents
had succumbed to bribery. I feel thai
/ the Senator should press this point anC
that we should know everything possible
about it. The Assistant Secretary OF
State, Mr. Polk, told the Committee or
| Foreign Relations this morning that he
has in his possession some thirty-fve
copies of the treaty. He can readily
| compare the text and let US know II