The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-06-14
Copy of Treaty Circulated
| Among Republican Leaders
/ Only
THOMAS LAMONT BROKE
PLEDGE OF SECRECY
Senate Investigation instead Of
Discrediting President VIII
son Puts Republicans in a
Hole.

washington, June 11.-1oW the
peace treaty reached private hands
in New York and thus stirred up a
sensation in the senate was establish
ed today at a two hours hearing be-
fore the foreign relations committee.
Senator Lodge revealed that the copy
he saw was shown MIN by Elihu
Root, a former secretary of State.
Mr.. Root told the committee he got it
from H. p Dawson, member OF
the Morgan banking house and head
Of the Red Cross and Dawson in turn
testified it was given him in Paris by
Thomas w. Lamont, another Nor
gan partner attached to the American
peace mission.
J. P. Morgan and Franl, A. Wander
lip, retiring president Of the National
City Bank, also before the commit
tee, said they never had seen a copy.
With that the committee adjourned
without setting date to continue the
hearing and with members ON both
sides of the treaty controversy saying
privately that the investigation ap-
parently was over.
Mr.. Dawson said he got the copy
to clear up the status Of the Red Cross
under the league OF nations and never
had used it in a financial way. He
had shown it to no one except MT.
Rooot, he continued and had sent 1t
to him because he knew the former
secretary was being consulted by the
American mission.
Mr.. Root gave it as his opinion
that there was nothing improper IN
the way the treaty reached him and
that he was free to use it as he choos-
ed. There could be nothing secret
about it, he told the committee, be-
cause the German government had
made it public.
Under questioning Mr.. Root who
appeared in the inquiry voluntarily
went on to say that while the senate
was within it's rights in asking for a
copy after the treaty became public
in Germany, President Wilson was
also within his in Withholding if it he
chose
All the witnesses said they had
heard rumors of other copies in New
York but did not know whether
they existed. Like statements were
made in telegrams to the committee
by Jacob Schiff of Kuhn, Loeb & Co.,
and Paul Warburg, formally a part
ner in the same firm.
Tonight the inquiry. ordered oy
the senate last week, seemed to have
reached a standsti!l because no one
had any further witnesses to suggest
Senator Lodge and Senator Borah, Re-
publican, of Idaho, who made the rev.
elations which started the InvestiSa-
ton, said they considered all their
statements in the senate had been
proved and Senator Hitchcock. Demo
crat. of Nebraska author of the in
vestigation resolution, declared the ir
ouiry apparently had lapsed without
showing any dangerous leak in diplo-
matte channels.
Senator Boran questioned Mr.. Davi-
son at length to support his declara-
ton in the senate that the treaty was
in the hands of certain interests
which were peculiarly interested in
it. Asked directly whether he had
peculiar interest in the document
the witness replied that he certainly
had, though he never had used his
knowledge of the text in any financial
way. Mr.. Morgan and Mr.. Vanderlip
were not examined at length in re-
gard to the treaty, but from the latter
was secured considerable information
regarding European conditions.
Mr.. Lamont is still abroad and the
opinion seemed to be that little would
be gained by bringing him here tc
testify.