Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-12
KNOX RESOLUTION
TO BRING ON FIGHT
David Lawrence Says Demo-
Gratis Will Garry on Fill
buster to Defeat.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

All sides seemed to derive salts
faction today out of the results OF
the investigation by the Senate Of how
copies of the peace proposals formu-
lated at Paris got to Wall street. the
Senate. private citizens, newspaper
correspondents and unofficial states
men. Senator Hitchcock. democrat.
author of the investigating resolu-
ton, was sure President Wilson him
self had been cleared of any in
of improperly. Conserva-
tive republicans like Senator Lodge
saw nothing wrong in the possession
chairman of the American Red Cross:
of copies of the document. but argued
that the Senate should have had as
matter Of information what was Vir-
tually common property abroad
Progressive republicans like Senator
Borah. anxious to prove that the fran,
ing of the peace treaty was OF special
interest to Wall street, were satisfied
that the hearings brought out that
two members of the firm of ]. p. Nor
gan & Co. we're aware of the contents
of the treaty before the Senate was.
None Much Perturbed.
Never having had anything like the
Paris conference happen before. with
efforts to keep bulky document like
the peace treaty from being distributed
the world, no presidents
could be invoked today to define respon-
sibility for what has occurred. Aside
from the political advantage of SEEM
Ing to emphasize Inconsistency at
Paris with respect to open diplomacy,
nobody inside or outside the Senate
was really very much perturbed today
about the developments in the leak
hearings.
All sides admit that the document
over which the controversy began will
not be the final treaty, as the daily
press cables from Paris tell Of inn
portant changes. Elihu Roots admis-
sion that President Wilson had a right
to withhold the text Of the treaty till
1t was finally completed and signed by
the parties to the negotiation and
that he himself did not favor a wide
Of the document until it
was a treaty gave much comfort to
the defenders Of the President, but,
on the other hand, Mr.. Wilson's OPP
ponents noted that Mr.. Root thought
as a matter of policy. though not
of right, ii would have
been wiser for the President to in
form the Senate foreign relations COM
to time.
Democrats See Insult.
But the leak hearings appeared a
closed incident with attention
transferred to the fate of
the resolution proposed by Senator
Philander c. Knox republican. and
former Secretary OF State, asking the
peace conference to insert provisions
~ l. he
treaty and discuss the league Of ma
tfons afterward There Isl much CON
Germ at the Capitol about it. Demo-
Gratis think it Is the gravest assault
that has yet been made, not only on
the Presidents work at Paris. but the
representing countries as
ISOLATED with us. Republicans would
like 20 pass it If they could. But
really they do not expect to do so.
They have enough votes to make a
profound impression. but not to inter-
fere with the Presidents powers, for
the resolution cannot command a ma
jority.
the republicans will press it, not be-
cause they want 1T passed. but be-
cause they want ito keep the record
straight" They say the introduction
of the resolution and debate will be
lifting preface to the reservations la
Is submitted for ratification. On the
other hand, they look upon it as
good chance to take a test vote and
zee what the country thinks of the
covered in the Knox reso-
ution.
1 am advised today that Senator
Knox drew the resolution himself.
showed it to Senator Lodge, who ap-
proved it, but that the proposal was
Tot widely distributed or in any sense
he outcome of party conference.
Democrats Prepared to Fight.
Democrats are prepared to give bat
lie to the death on the Knox resolu-
ion. They will probably filibuSter if
here is any chance of it coming to a
vote. And to prevent a filibuster re-
luires a two thirds vote of the Senate,
which the republicans could not COM
nand. as more than a third Of the
membership Of the upper house are
democrats.
So one can consider the Knox res
'lution part Of the propaganda or
publicity of the drive against the
eague Of nations.
The leak hearings were to have
shown some alleged improper connec-
ion between Wall street and the
o develop carefully the status Of in
finance with relation to
European credits it would have been
ound that big bankers, acting In be- |
lalf of the investing public of Amer
ca, will be vitaly interested in Eu-
'ope's financial status, as will a few
million Americans who own liberty
ponds.
The peace of Europe and the ability
II our allies to pay their big debts
o the United States have been giving
much concern to bankers. Interest |
ng suggestions were made at the leak
hearings looking to a combination of
Ill the banking and industrial inter- |
sts of America in financing Europe, |
n rather in stabilizing her economic |
onditions by the extension of private |
redits. The leak committee might |
ave found out had 1t pursued this |
inc Of thought in what a serious |
light Europe finds itself, how much |
n need of American goods are Euro /
'ean peoples and what an opportunity |
8 offered to make Americas expand !
d war facilities meet European de- |
hands and thus give employment to |
aore people in this country and keep |
wages higher. But that line Of reas- |
ming might have developed argu-
nents for the league Of nations and |
he early ratification of the peace |
realty.
1919. by N. 7. Evening Post, Incl
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