The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-10
TREATY HELD TO ,
Be ALLIANCE AND
NOT BAR TO WAR
CONTINUED From First rase,J

NUI DIN III WIN
CONTINUED From First Page,)
the majority report says, are submitted
to preserve American independence
and American sovereignty and thereby
best serve the welfare OF mankind,
Dismiss All Fears.
Fears that other nations may not ac-
cept an amended covenant, the re ort
dismissed with the statement:
That is one thing that certainly win
not happen. . The other nations
will take uS on our own terms. for with.
out us their league is a wreck and all
their gains from a victorious peace are
imperiled."
That the adoption Of amendments will
necessitate reassembling Of the peace
conference the report denies, asserting
that the conference probably will be in
session for six months more in Paris
and might as well be at least as use
fully employed" as they now are in
dividing and sharing southeastern Eu-
rope and Asia Minor" German delegates
the report contends, could easily he
brought to Paris, and as Germany is
not a member Of the league she need
not be consulted about changes Of the
covenant.
At the outset the majority report deals
at length with criticism of delay and
points out that whereas the peace con
ference took. six months 70 agree on
the treaty, the senate foreign relations
committee has had II working days, De-
mands for speed I'm the most important
subject that ever came before the SEN
ate Of the United States the report
says, were largely the work OF the ad-
ministration and its newspaper organs"
A second artificial" demand for
haste, the report says, came from Ger
tain great banking firms which had a
direct ~pecunlary interest In securing an
early opportunity to reap the harvest"
In the adjustment of financial obliga-
tons Of the warning countries The
third was In the "unthinking cutlery Of
many excellent people who desired early
action and for the most part had never
read the treaty or never got beyond the
words league Of nations which they be-
lieved to mean the establishment Of
eternal peace
ITO yield helplessly to this clamor,'
declares the report was impossible to
those to whom was intrusted the per
Torrance Of a solemn public duty"
Explain Big Delay.
Recalling the s~enate's responsibility as
equal with the presidents the report
recounts at some length the difficulties
the foreign relations committee expert
enced In getting information on the
treaty, being Obliged to send to Paris
for maps, being compelled to get i'm
perfect Information from press reports"
and having at Its disposal few official
documents.
Collateral treaties having a bearing,
the report says, the committee was UNI
able to get. OF the sum of information
received In conferences with President
Wilson and Secretary Lansing, the re-
port remarks:
The people themselves know how
much information in regard to the
treaty was received by the committee
upon those two occasions
While criticism for delay has been
aimed at the foreign relations commit
tee, the report points out no action has
been taken by France, Japan or Italy.
The argument that the treaty speedily
should be ratified that trading with Ger
many might begin, the report dismisses
as rather faded" and declares the
United States has been trading with
Germany since the signing OF the armi-
stice In increasing volume. The state
ment that trade cannot be resumed UNI
til the treaty Is ratified Is characterized
as a mere delusion.'
Before leaving this subject" says
the report, lit may not be remiss to
remark that Mr.. Lloyd George has re-
Gently made two important speeches ex-
pressing grave apprehenslons as to the
| SOCIAL anu pOllllCdl uHTtSl dHu lHc WV
nomic troubles now prevalent IN Eng
and. He seems to have failed to point
out, however, that the ratification OF
the covenant of the league of nations
by Great Britain q relieved the stu
alton which he had described. He was
apparently equally remiss In emitting
to suggest that prompt action by the
senate Of the United States In adopting
the covenant of the league OF nations
would Immediately lower the price of
beef. ...
For Equal Powers,
"Tne first amendment offered by the
committee relates to the league. 1t Is
proposed so to amend the text as to
secure for the United States a vote
In the assembly OF the league equal to
that of any other power. Great Brit
ain now has under the name of the
British one vote in the council Of the
league. She ha four additional votes
In the assembly of the league for her
self-governing dominions and colonies,
which are most properly members of
the league and signatories to the treaty.
She also has the vote of India, which
Is neither a self-goyerning dominion,
nor a colony, but merely a part of the
empire and which apparently was sim
ply put In as a ~signatory member
Of the league by the peace conference
because Great Britain desired II. Great
Britain also will control the votes OF
the kingdom of Hedjaz and of Persia.
With these last two Of course we have
nothing to do. But If Great Britain has
six votes in the league assembly no
reason has occurred to the committee
and no argument has been made to
show why the United States should not
have an equal number. If other coun-
tries like the present arrangement, that
is not our affair; but the committee
failed to see why the United States
should have but vote In the assem-
bly, of the league when the British en-
pire has six.
Amendments 80 to a., inclusive,
transfer to China the German lease and
rights, II they exist. in the Chinese
province Of Shantung, which are given
by the treaty to Japan, The majority
Of the committee were not willing to
have their votes recorded at any stage
In the proceedings In favor Of the con-
summation of what they consider a
great wrong. They can not assent to
taking the property OF n faithful ally
and handing 1t over 70 another any IN
fulfillment Of a bargain made by other
powers In a secret treaty. 1t Is a rec
ord which they are not willing to pre-
sent to their fellow citizens or leave
behind them for the contemplation of
their children.
vide that where a member OF the
league has self governing dominions and
colonies which are also members Of
the league, the exclusion Of the dis
Jutants under the league rules shall
cover the aggregate vote OF the mem
Der OF the league and It's self-governing
dominions and parts Of empire COM
bined II any one of them Is involved
IN the controversy.
All as Single One.
r THE remaining amendments, with II
single exception, may be treated as one,
for the purpose Of all alike is to re-
Iieve the United States from having
representatives on the commissions es-
tablished by the league which deal with
questions in which the United states
has and can nave no interest and in
which the United States has evidently