New-York tribune., 1919-06-06

f. Borah to-day in a speech favoring
the resolution of Senator Johnson, of
California, demanding the text of the
peace treaty.
II should have been satisfied to have
left the treaty to be distributed at the
pleasure of the President if the action
Of the peace conference had been con-
! fined to the question of making q
treaty." Mr.. Borah said, "but when the
peace conference assumed the duty of
not only formulating q treaty with the
enemy, but Of Incorporating in that
treaty what the Presto in France q
few days ago stated in unmistakab b le
terms to be per-government for
the world. then this became something
more than treaty. 1t became a
matter of grave concern not only to
the treay-making power, technically
speaking but a matter Of the utmost
concern TO the American people to know
just what kind Of a per-govarnment
we were to have and how it is incor-
porated into the treaty, and why, as Mr..
Taft repeats night after night, it is in
dlsrensible to the performance and ex-
ecution of the treaty. We are facing
situation in which we are not only
making treaty, but are changing the
entire structure of our government
Opponents in Dark
clad these two matters been entire
ly divorced there would have been very
little discussion as to it's publicity until
such time as the President saw fit to
mo Olyo IL.
tions incorporated in the treaty is be-
ing discussed from one end of the land
to the other, and it is being constantly
stated to the American people that the
two are inseparably connected and that
the treaty with Germany cannot be
made effective without the league of
nations.
"While that debate is going on by
some who assume to know what the
terms OF the treaty are, those who are
opposed to the league of nations are
placed at the disadvantage Of debat-
ing something as to which they say.
You do not know anything about it,
There is scarcely a night passes but
Mr.. Taft alights from his special train
in company with DR.. Anna Howard
what the contents of this treaty are.
while the American people know moth
ing about it through those upon whom
is devolved the responsibility of knowl-
edge under the Constitution.
Mr.. Taft says that this treaty can
not be expected unless the league of
nations is created and the machinery
of the league is put into operation.
There have been a vast number of
treaties in the last 15O years made
and executed without the league of
nations, and it is not entirely clear to
an obtuse mind, like some Of us are
supposedly, unfortunately, to possess,
why that could not be true again un-
less there are some peculiar terms and
conditions written into the German
treaty of which we have no knowledge
and of which Mr.. Taft has sufficient
knowledge."
Senator Hitchcock inquired how
roland and Czecho-Slovakia could be
protected without the machinery Of the
league of nations
i co not know how you are going to
carry out the plans which have been
formulated at Versailles without q
league Of nations, and l do not know
how you are going to do it with
league OF nations such as you have
formed retortcd My. Borah. "The
league of nations which YOU have
formed is as powcrlcss and ineffective
to do what the Senator in his fancy
contemplates that he and Mr.. Taft are
going to do as anything of which I can
conceive. 1t has absolutely no power
TO DO anything except superinduce and
BRING on war. and it is utterly without
power to prevent war or carry on war
when it comes.
I'VE would have been content to
leave the treaty where it now is, in
the hands of the Executive, and with
certain governments of Europe and
certain people in New York, had the
matter been divorced from the league.
But when they became intertwned and
interminglcd, the cx-President con-
stantly insisting to the American peo-
pie thot great danger arises out of
the breakdown of that treaty with
Germany without the league attached
to 1T, it becomes necessary for those
who are concerned in it TO know its
details.
"When the President of the United
States took his second departure for
our foreign capital he advised the peo-
pie Of the United States that when the
treaty with Germany came back here
the league of nations would be so in
tcrwovcn with it, with its fibre and it's
conditions and its terms, that those
who were opposed to the league of ma
tions would find it exceedingly difficult
to disentanglc the two Instruments
And, therefore, if we did not propose
to delay peace we would be compelled
to accept the league of nations whether
we desired it or not.
Demands Complete Facts
"Now what is the situation We
have the league of nations in it's pres
ent form. We have no knowledre
whatever Of the manner in which it is
intcrwined or interviewer with the
treaty itself, and yet we are advised
by no less an authority than the
ncgotiator of the treaty that it was
the desire and purpose Of those with
whom he was associated so to inter
twine it with the treaty that we would
have to accept the league or else post
pone the treaty of peace. Are we not
entitled, therefore, in view Of the task
which is imposed upon US and the diff
cult job which has been put up behind
closed doors in Paris for us to deal
with, to have both Instruments and