Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1919-06-13
THE PEACE TREATY LEAK


Nothing less than a national scan
dial threatens to result from state
ments made by Senator Lodge OF
Massachusetts and Senator Borah Of
Idaho to the effect-that special inter-
ests in New York have in their po-
session copies Of the Treaty Of Peace
while the Senate of the United States
and the people Of the country have
been given only a summarized aD-
stract of the Treaty. President VIII
son and his colleagues in the Peace
Conference are pledged not to publish
the treaty of peace until after 1t is
signed by Germany and consequently
this leak is n very serious one. A
thorough investigation Of the charges
made by Senators Lodge and Borah
has already been demanded by Sen
ator Hitchcock, Democratic Member Of
the Foreign Relations Committee, by
the introduction of the following re-
solution:
"Whereas, the Senator from Idaho
Mr.. Borah, has stated in the Senate
that certain interests in the city OF
New York have secured copies OF the
Peace Treaty, whiel the American peo.
nile have been unable to secure 1t; anc
Whereas, the Senator from Mas
sachusetts, Mr.. Lodge, has stated IN
the Senate that he knows Of four sucf
copies of said treaty of peace with
Germany now in New York, and thai
the only place where it is not allowed
to come is the United States Senate
and
. "Whereas, the Senator from Idaho
Mr.. Borah has stated that the inter
: ests now having possession OF sait
copies of said treaty are peculiarly in
: terested in the treaty; now, therefore
be it
"Resolved, That the Committee oil
Foreign Relations be authorized ant
directed to investigate the matter Will
the view of ascertaining the facts ant
/ particularly to ascertain and report t.
D the Senate the names of persons, cor
5 porations, or interests which have Sc
cured copies of said treaty and from
: whom they were secured and by VIVA
!. method, and also to ascertain and re
port to the Senate in what manner ant
! to what extent said interests are par
: ticularly' interested in said treaty"
The resolution has already gone
5 without debate, to the Committee o.
t Audit. Mr.. Lodge did not oppose a
q investigation but said that he expect
ed ''the whole matter to be cleared u
5 within q few days." Senator Lodg
0 also said that he had been show
g copies of the treaty when he was j
d New York last Monday to a atten
e the funeral of Robert Bacon, forme
e American Ambassador to France
s Senator Hitchcock's resolution was az
g parently introduced in order to fore
!. Senator Lodge to divulge the names Q
the persons who showed him tn
treaty. The Massachusetts Senator
said, however, to have stated that b
could not divulge the names as tn
: treaty was shown him in confidence.
IS As far as was known up to the tim
: of the sensational charge by Senator
: Lodge and Borah there were only tW
: copies of the Peace Treaty in tn
). country: one in the possession OF tn
; State Department and the other in tn
4 possession of the Japanese Embass
Be- at Washington. The copy Of the treat
= which he read in New York, Senate
y Lodge said, contained a "labor adder
s. dunn" which, when published, wi
= startle capital and labor alike. This
s one of the most surprising parts G
Senator Lodges statement, because
d was understood that the labor section
! z of the treaty were debated openly b
Q the delegates of the Allied nations an
). what was supposed to be the complet
: official text of these sections wa
! given out by the Committee on Publ
) Information and published in tn
newspapers of the country on Apr
= %.