Graham guardian., 1919-09-12
A SHOCK TO
THE COUNTRY
Senator Hitchcock So Character
ICES Senator Knox's Attack
On Peace Treaty.
INSANE FOREIGN POLICY
Amendment or Defeat Of the Treaty
Would Be Commercial and Finan-
>eial Disaster for America, Says
Nebraska Senator.


peace, good or bad, reasonable or un.
reasonable, means the defeat OF the
treaty with all its disastrous conse-
quences, Senator Hitchcock Of Nebras-
ka made a powerful speech In the Sen
ate today urging that the treaty be rat
flied without delay and without amend.
ment Referring to the recent speech
of Senator McCumber, Republican Of
North Dakota, who voted against the
Shantung, amendment In the foreign
relations committee, Senator Hitch
cock said, "He has shown that the pro.
posed amendment instead of helping
China deprives her of the benefit OF
promises and concessions the United
States has exacted from Japan. He
has shown that Japan Is already In
possession Of the German rights, privi.
leges and leaseholds. He has also
shown that Great Britain and France
are under pledge to Japan to stand by
her In her claim, and he has challenged
the supporters Of the proposed amend.
ment to show how China can possibly
be benefited unless when we reject
Japan's promises we propose to 90 to
war with her and drive her out of
Shantung for the benefit Of China, ]
think the senator from North Dakota
concluslvely demonstrated the folly Of
the proposed amendment as far as II
concerns China and the danger that II
tprniras to thn T-,;foJ
Senator Hitchcock then explained
the inevitable results II the Senate
should vote In favor Of the Shantuns
amendment or any other. He said that
one of two things would happen
either the President would refuse to 20
further with the treaty, or he would
have to submit the amendment to the
nations associated with the United
States In the war. Does anyone be-
lieye," asked the senator, "that the 9th.
er nations would accept the Shantung
amendment7" He pointed out that
Great Britain has already ratified the
treaty and is under pledge to Japan
with reference to Shantung; that
France is soon to ratify the treaty and
Is under the same pledge to Japan.
Does any one suppose that Japan
herself would submit to such humili
alton before the eyes Of the world?"
asked Hitchcock. "The answer is sim
pie" he asserted. "We would find our.
selves out in the cold, isolated from the
rest of the world. What then will the
United States do? What will those
American statesmen propose who
stand for this method of killing the
treaty. Some Of them will say that
Congress can pass a joint resolution
declaring a state of peace with Ger
many. Others say the United States
tan negotiate separate and independ.
ent treaty of peace with Germany.
Those who talk this way evidently
have no conception Of the enormous
benefits and advantages which the
United States derives from this treaty,
which we wrung from Germany at the
cannon's mouth. Neither have they
any conception of the difficulties in
volved In negotiating n new treaty with
Germany to establish the terms of
peace and settle the controversies of
the war.
"To my mind 1t would be suicidal
for the United States to throw away
the advantages and benefits provided
In this treaty, 1t would be disastrous
commercially and finaScially. 1t would
put us at an enormous disadvantage In
our international relations not only
with Germany but with those nations
which we would thus desert. They
would remain bound together by ties
of mutual interest. They would enjoy
not be slow to take every advantage of
them. They would resent our deser-
ton.
"Up to this point, have discussed
the possible defeat of the treaty by
means of proposed amendments to It.
That is the real program and hope of
the majority of the committee on for
eign relations. 1t is for that purpose
that the treaty has been locked up in
cold storage for so many weeks. The
enemies OF the League of Nations In
the Senate are not many compared to
its friends, but they control the com
mittee. They have felt justified In re-
tanning the treaty In the committee,
Folding useless hearings and making
killing amendments with the full
knowledge that amendments would
beat the treaty just as effectively as a
refusal to ratify
"A few, very few, senators have
declared that they would vote against
the treaty because of the League OF
Nations, but n has remained for the
senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Knox
to declare boldly against our participa-
ton In the treaty settlement.
ITO say that he has amazed the
country is to put 1t mildly--he has
shocked the country.
strangely enough, after months of
time and number Of speeches in
which his attack on the treaty has
been on account Of Article I, which
contains the League Of Nations, he
now takes new position. He former
ly favored taking the League of Ma
tions out of the treaty and ratlfylng
| the peace settlement with Germany.
Now he suddenly changes front, de-
clares in favor of deserving the nations
associated with us In the war and ad-
vocates an unconditional peace or ne