The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-06-09
WILSON WANTS
STRICT INQUIRY
On How Text of Treaty of
Peace Reached Pri-
vate Interests
HE WILL NOT DIVULGE
TREATY TO SENATE
Prominent New York FL
nancial Men Summoned
Before Committee


Washington, d. G., June 9,--President
Wilson in cabegram received to-day
by Senator Hitchcock, Democrat, Ne
brasks, said he hoped the investigation
by the Senate foreign relations commit
tee of how copies of the peace treaty
reached private interests in New York
would be most thoroughly prosecuted
The president said he had felt it "was
highly undesirable officially to commu-
nicate the text Of document which is
still in negotiation and subject to
change and that anyone who had pos
session of the official English text "has
what he is clearly not entitled to have or
to communicate"
strengthened the belief Of officials here
that he would not comply with the re-
quest of the Senate that the treaty text
be furnished II at this time.
The presidents message, transmitted
through the White House and read by
Senator Hitchcock to the foreign rels-
tions committee, follows:
please convey following to Senator
Hitchcock:
II am heartily glad that you have de-
manded an investigation with regard to
the possession of texts Of the treaty by
unauthorized persons. | have felt that
il was highly undesirable officially to
communicate the text of a document
which is still in negotiation and subject
to change. Anyone who has possession
Of the official English text has what he
is clearly not entitled to have or to com
municate. have felt in honor bound to
act in the same spirit and in the same
way as the representatives Of the other
great powers in this matter, and am con-
fident that my fellow countrymen will
not expect me to break faith with them
hope that the investigation will be
most thoroughly prosecuted"
In its investigation of how copies
OF the peace treaty reached New York
the Senate foreign relations committee
to. o.day subpoenaed Jacob Schiff, Thomas
T. Lamont, II. P. Dawson, Paul War
burg, j. P. Morgan and Frank A. Wander
lip
Mr.. Lamont was requested to bring
with him any correspondence which
passed between j. p Morgan and com
pany and its Paris and London agents
regarding the treaty, and particularly
any communications on the subject be.
tween the banking house and Mr. Da
yison while the latter was abroad.
The committee also adopted unani
mously a motion by Senator Fall, Re
publican, Of New Mexico, inviting Acting
Secretary Polk TO appear as witness
and to take part in the inquiry by cross
examining witnesses and otherwise.
All of the financiers named except Mr.
Vanderlip were called at the suggestion
of Senator Borah, Republican, of Idaho,
who told the committee he was convinced
that each of them was familiar with
what the treaty contained. He said he
was convinced international banks "a
New York were interested for private
reasons in the addition of the league of
nations covenant. The presence of these
men before the committee probably
would show where copy OF the treaty
could be obtained.
81 think there will be no trouble about
getting a copy said Mr.. Borah.
In the discussion in the foreign rela
tions committee Senator Borah was
asked by Senator Hitchcock:
Have you any reason to believe which
copy was seen by Senator Lodgei"
II have my opinion, but | haven't
any real information" Mr. Borah re
piled Il don't think any of these men
showed their copy to Senator Lodge"
Senator Brandegee, Republican, of Con.
necticut read from the recent speech by
Senator Hitchcock in which the Nebras-
ka senator said if Senator Lodge held
copy of the treaty in his hand it either
was stolen document or had been OBJ
tanned by bribery. The Connecticut sen
ator said he never had "had the audaci-
ty to say that the administration or any
of its agents can be bribed" and added
that when the investigation had been
started he hoped Senator Hitchcock
would either withdraw his inference or
make good his charge.
Senator Lodge then took the stand and
in brief statement told of having seen
a copy of the treaty in the possession of
a friend in New York.
This friend, he continued told him
that he knew four copies of the treaty
were in New York Neither this friend
nor another friend who offered him a
copy had any connection with financial
interests, Senator Lodge said
Replying to questions by Senator
Hitchcock, Senator Lodge said he did not
think it would be honorable" for him
to disclose the names Of the men who
had copies of the treaty.
Declaring that several newspapers to-
day had printed 25,O00 words of the
treaty, Senator Brandegee said that ex-
cept in the Senate copies of the docu.
ment "are as common in this country as
huekleberries.
Senator Knox, Republican, Pennsylva-
MIA, declared that Senator Lodge had
given all the information possible and
that what he withheld was matter of
high senatorial privilege and personal
honor.
Acting Secretary Polk said he had
first received the text of the treaty by