The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-11
WOULD MEANLOSS
OF ALLU. GAINS
If Senate Rejects the Peace
Treaty or Adopts 1t
With Amendments
SAYS MINORITY
COMMITTEE REPORT
Claim Made That Germany
Could Not Be Called Back
to Sign a New Treaty

Washington, D. c., Sept. ll.--Rejec-
tion of the peace treaty with its league
OF nations covenant, or adoption ~
amendments, would mean sacrifice by the
United States Of all concessions obtained
from Germany under a dictated peace,
minority members of the foreign rela
tions committee declared in report pre-
sented to-day to the Senate.
The report, prepared by Senator Hitch
cock of Nebraska ranking Democratic
member of the committee, urged speedy
ratification of the treaty without amend
ments or reservations, 1t deplored "the
long and unnecessary delay TO which the
treaty has been subjected while locked
up in the committee whose recommenda-
tions were from the start foregone con.
clusion" and asserted these recommenda.
tions could have been made in Germany.
Senator Shields, Democrat, TENNESSEE
did not sign the report. having announced
that he favored league covenant reser-
yations prepared by Chairman Lodge. 1t
was stated that he would not present a
separate report, Those signing in add.
tion to Senator Hitchcock, were Sena.
tors Williams, Mississippi; Swanson
Virginia; Pomerene, Ohio; Smith, Ari.
zona, and Pittman, Nevada, all Demo.
Gratis.
The minority denied the claim put
forth in Chairman Lodges report that
the peace conference still was in ses.
sion and has power Ito bring German
representatives To Paris" saying such
power of compulsion had been exhaust
ed and that Germany had closed the
chapter by signing and ratifying.
"If an amended treaty is not signed
by Germany the report added, "then
it is in none Of its parts binding on
her.
The report mentioned II concessions
the United States would lose by failure
to ratify the treaty, these including in.
dustrial and economic advantages and
agreements.
Reservations Intended to Destroy League
Reservation proposed by the majori.
tv, the report said, was for the purpose
of destroying the league" which has
stood the test Of world wide criticism
and unlimited attack"
The minority recommended that the
work of the peace conference be con.
firmed and the peace Of the world ad-
vanced by ratification of the treaty de.
scribed as the best hope Of the world,
"even If like all instrumentalities it be
not perfect in every detail
The report contended that the indus
49,,
cial world in doubt, and commerce halted,
while delay on the treaty had been
caused" majority of the committee
known to be out Of harmony with the
majority Of the Senate and the majori.
ty of the people. This was declared to
be government by obstruction as well
as by minority. Export trade, the re-
port said, had suffered because of delay
In ratification; that private credit wait
ed for peace, and that this government,
which has been advancing to European
governments has about reached the end
Of its authority given it by Congress.
Private enterprise, it said, from now on
must keep up American commerce with
Europe. Scoring the majority, the re-
port said, exports to Germany since the
armistice amounted to only IA cents
worth of American products for each per-
son in Germany or two cents per person
per month.
Referring TO the action of the ma
iority of the committee said the report
1--WE unite in opposing and condemning
the recommendations bpth as to textual
amendments and as to proposed reser-
vations As far as the proposed textual
amendments are concerned we see no
reason to discuss their character at
length. In our opinion they have no
merit, but whether they be good, bad, or
Indifferent, their adoption by the Sen,
ate can have no possible effect except TO
defeat the participation of the United
States in the treaty. None of them
could by any possibility be adopted
even by the great nations associated
with the United States in the war, and
none of them could by any possibility be
dictated to Germany. To adopt any one
of them, therefore, is equivalent to re-
jecting the treaty,
/, To adopt an amendment or to reject
the treaty means that the United States
will sacrifice all of the concessions Sc
cured from Germany by dictated peace
Among the concessions which the Unit
ed States would sacrifice may be included
the following:
First, Germany's acknowledgment of
responsibility for the war and her prom
ise to make restitution for damages re.
sulting from it.
Second, Germanys promise to us in
the treaty that she will not impose
higher or other customs duties or charges
on our goods than those charged to the
most favored nation and viii not pro-
hibit or restrict or discriminate against
imports directly or indirectly from our
country
"Third Germany's promise to us in
the treaty that she will make no dis
elimination in German ports on shipping
bearing our flag and that our shipping
in German ports will be given as favor
able treatment as German ships receive.
Fourth, that for six months after the
treaty goes into effect no customs duty
will be levied against imports from the