Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-11
his veto. Otherwise It might be per-
niitted to become law without his sig
nature.
WILSON MlssrArEMsNr SHOWN.
Senator Norris Demands President
Publicly Admit Error. \

Senator Norris Demands President
~ Publicly Admit Error.
Washington. Oct. il.--President Will
sons defense Of his agreement to give
Shantuns to Japan was shattered In
the senate yesterday by Senator Nor
ris Of Nebraska, republican. The sen
ator produced q telegram from Mr..
Wilson admitting no had been \inac-
curate. Senator Norris called upon
the president to publicly admit the In
accuracy. ~
In various public utterances, par
ticularly at st. Louis. President Will
son has been justifying his action In
the Shantung settlement by declaring
he was bound by secret agreements
entered into by Japan. Great Britain,
France and Italy before the United
States declared war. These secret
agreements. giving Shantung to Japan.
had been made by the allies, he stated
In effect, to draw the mikado's gov.
ernment into the war and to obtain the
assistance Of the Japanese navy in the
necessary task Of clearing the Pacific
Of German raiders.
Senator Norris pointed out that
Japan entered the war on Aug. 23, 1914.
and that the secret agreements were
not made until March 81. 1917. After
President Wilson had made his st.
Louis address, Senator Norris wired
the president, calling his attention to
these facts.
On Sept IL he received this telegram
from the president, dated at Garrison,
Mont.:N
II thank you for correcting an unin-
territorial inaccuracy in one of my re-
cent speeches"
The reading Of the telegram by Sem
ator Norris created something Of stir
in the senate. particularly in the ad-
ministration ranks, where all the ar
Euments in favor Of the Shantung set
tlement had been built on the presi-
dents explanation. Now the senate Is
in as much darkness as before as to
the reafreasons for the Shantung set
tlement. 1t knows only that Secretary
of state Lansing thinks Japan would
have signed the treaty even IL Shan
tung had been given to China, while
the president thinks he had to agree to
give the province to Japan to- obtain
her signature.
IT waited until the president trip
was completed before made public his
telegram in which he had admitted
that his statement was what he calls
an 'unintentional inaccuracy. said
Senator Norris.
'The president has never publicly
admitted that his statement was un-
true. It seems to me that IL the presi-
dent wanted to be fair with the Amer
lean people, with the senate, and with
the world, he would at least have been
careful to give as great publicity to the
correction as he did to the original mis-
statement.
fThe president says he knew moth
ing about the secret agreements until
they gathered around the peace table
am assuming that Tor the purposes
Of the argument that that is the truth.
These agreements were made at time
when It was known that the United
States was going to enter the war and
It was also pretty generally known
that after we entered the war China
would follow US In. 1t was also known
that China had for a long time desired
to enter the war, but had been pre-
vented from doing SO by Japan. SO
Japan made these agreements to seal
China's fate before she entered the
war"
Senator Norris insisted nothing
could be further from the truth" than
the presidents statement that the
Shantung amendment would make It
necessary for the United States to
20 to war to help China regain her lost
province. He declared the United
States, II It could not prevent Shan
tung going to Japan. should ct least
never have given its consent ito such
q robbery"
The senator urged the senate not to
deceive itself that Shantung would ever
be restored to China under the league
Of nations. gsr,.,s d. s