New-York tribune., 1919-08-24

treaty and its bad provisions"
Others took more hopeful view Of
the action Of Britain, France, Italy and
Japan, pointing out that most Of the
experts at Paris, and Secretary of State
Lansing himself, thought Japan's threat
to withdraw a bluff
Would Call Japan's Bluff
"This action by the Senate would
call Japan's bluff" said one Senator,
"and at the same time would right
what is acknowledged not only by Mr..
Lansing, but by General Bliss, Henry
White, every expert who has been be-
fore the Foreign Relations Committee.
and the President himself to be
wrong"
cit ought not to be forgotten" said
Senator Brandegee, "that members Of
admitted that the decision was wrong
but voted for it. The Senate Commit
tee voted for what they thought was
right"
Just how the vote on Shantung will
come out in the Senate no one is in
position to say. 1t all depends on q
handful Of votes which are in a state
of fux. The Administration leaders
concede that two Democrats, Reed and
Gore, will certainly vote for the
amendment. They frankly fear that
Senators Thomas and Walsh will vote
for it. They are worried about Senator
Myers, Of Montana, and to-day reports
about still another Democrat, Senator
Pheian, Of California, began to worry
them.
Phelan Hears From Home
Mr. Phelan has been hearing from
home to a tremendous extent. The
Shantung settlement, as accepted by
the President, is not popular in Cali
fornia, according to reports, and Japan
ese promises, even when clearly made,
which, it is said, these have not been,
are not highly regarded there. Mr..
Phelan, who comes up for reelection
next year, realizes the feeling in Cali
fornia about the Japenese as much as
any man, and only to-day had himself
transferred to the immigration Commit
tee so he could do something for his
his state on the immigration question.
When asked to-day how he would
vote on Shantung Mr.. Phelan beat
hasty retreat, refusing to be quoted.
The Californian is put in more
dicult position, in his desire to sup
Wilson, and by the action of his col
league, Hiram Johnson, who to-day
voted to amend the Shantung section,
and who will vote so later on the floor
of the Senate.
zone of the outstanding iniquities
Of the treaty." said Senator Johnson,
neither excused nor justified, except
upon the Prussian philosophy, was the
Shantung decision.
Wrong and Fraud, Says Johnson
every American commissioner, in
Guiding the President, has condemned
it, and every witness before the For
eign Relations Committee has de-
nounced it. 1t presented, with none of
the prejudices in dealing with an
enemy, clean-cut moral issue. The
members of the Foreign Relations Com
mittee had to decide whether a friend
and an ally should be despoiled upon
the sole ground of expediency and fear,
and they have decided for the right.
Gail we could do was to disapprove
an admitted wrong and fraud prac-
tised upon q weak, friendly and de-
fenceless people, and this we have
done. 1t may be true, as asserted by
our opponents, that we cannot remedy
the wrong; at least, we are not parties
to it. And now, just as the attempt was
been made to drive US into acceptance
of the treaty without dotting an IL or
suppressing a IT. by wholly specious
and unwarranted assertion about the
high cost OF living, the effort will be
made to play upon our fears and the
fears of the American people, because
in a matter concerning which we were
called upon to act we have acted in a
righteous manner, at variance with the
wishes of Japan.
u. S. One Vote, Great Britain Six
eff it be asserted, as doubtless some
Administration people will assert, that
our action to-day will interfere with
any country, then it becomes obvious
that in matters before US we can act
only as other countries direct us to do.
This apparently is the position Of those
Americans who would take our country
into a league where we have only one
vote while Great Britain has six, and
where our Republic would be subject
to the direction of foreign nations, and
in which, after robbing China substan-
TALLY of q great province and nearly
40,000000 people. we would guarantee
the infamy by our treasure and by our
blood'
The weakness of the Shantung
amendment in the Senate is on the Re-
publican side, particularly among the
group of seven or mild Reservation
lists" Some of the Republican leaders
think that all of this group and all
Of the Republicans save two will vote
for Shantung. This is considered
rather optimistic. Senator McCumber
will certainly vote against the amend
ment. The prospect is that Senators
McNary and Cummins will, and there
are several others, including Senator
Colt, who are opposed to any direct
amendments.
Expect Church Elements Aid
Friends of the amendment are hope
full, however, that the increasing press
ure, especially from the Pacific Coast
will drive not only Mr.. Phelan but
Senator'S Chamberlain and McNary to
the support of the amendment, and
that the church element throughout
the country. disturbed at the accounts
Of how Japan has treated missionaries
in Corea. will work on other Senators
who are not inclined to vote for direct
amendments.
Indignantly denying a statement in
&elatiens Committee would report the
peace treaty this week, Senator Lodge
dictated the following statement:
"The committee has worked as hard
and steadily as any committee I ever
eaw--and | have been on a number of
them-but has been hampered at every
stage by lack Of information. Time
has been consumed in trying to get
Information here and there that should
pave been in our hands weeks ago. 1t
Is OF the utmost Importance that we get
the other tour treaties, or, at least,