Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-11
HITCHCOCK REPORT
FAVORS COVENANT
AS "BEST Hope
Senate Defeat Would Lose
: U. S. All Concessions in
Dictated Peace.
CONFERENCE NO LONGER
\ IN SESSION, IS FINDING
Cites Sacrifices to Be Made Should
Opponents Kill the
Pact.

Rejection Of the peace treaty with
its league Of nations covenant OF
adoption Of amendments would mean
sacrifice by the United States Of all
Concessions obtained from Germany
'1ander q dictated peace, minority mem
bers Of the foreign relations commit
clay to the Senate.
The report. prepared by Senator
Hitchcock Of Nebraska, ranking
democratic member Of the commit
tee, urged speedy ratification OF the
treaty without amendments or, reser-
WATKINS It deplored 1.-The long and
has been subjected while locked up
{ In tho committee, whose recommends
lions ware frog the start a foregone
conclusioQ," and asserted these rec
concentrations could have been made
In July.
Senator Shields Did Not Sign.
: Senator Shields. democrat, rennes-
bee, did not sign the report. having
covenant reservations prepared by
Chairman Lodge. It, was stated that
he would not present. separate re-
port. Those signing. IN addition to
Senator Hitchcock. ware Senators
Williams. Mississippi; Swanson. Vir-
ginia; Pomerene, Ohio; Smith, Ari-
xona, and Pittman, Nevada, ell demo-
Gratis
The minority denied the clasm put
Forth in Chairman Lodges report that
the peace conference still was inNses-
sion and has power ito bring German
20 ffryou To Do - yfv ,Sob
power Of compulsion had been exs
hausted. and that Germany had closed
the chapter by signing and by ratify-
Ing"
by Germany" the report added. then
her"
Tho report mentioned twelve con-
cessions the United States would lose
by failure to ratffy the treaty, these
including Industrial and economic ad-
Hantages and agreements.
| Reservations Would Destroy.
Reservations proposed by the ma
purpose of destroying the league"
which has stood ''the test Of world
wide criticism and unlimited attack"
The minority urged that the work
pf the peace conference be confirmed
BY ratifcation OF the treaty described
as the best hope Of the world, "even
IT, like all fnstrumentalities it is not
diyinely Derfect In sysfysaetail.".-e
The report co9tended that the in
6nsns;a, world s was in ferment." the
merce halted while delay In. the treaty
had been caused eby the majority OF a
COMMITTEES known to be out of har-
mony with the majority Of the Senate
aud the majority Of the people" This
was DECLARED to be government by OBJ
tBtructfon as well as by minority,
| Export Trade Suffers.
! Export trade, the report said. had
ssuftered because Of delay in ratifica-
kion: that private credit waited for
peace and that this government,
pean governments, has about reached
the end Of its authority given it by
Congress Private enterprises, It
caid, from now on must keep up
American commerce with Europe.
Answering the majority the report said
exports to Germany since the armistice
amounted to only II cents worth of
American products for each person in
Germany, or cents per person per
Referring to the action Of the ma
Sorfty Of the committee" said the re-
port, I'VE unite in opposing and con-
demning the recommendations both
proposed reservations. AS far as the
proposed textual amendments are
concerned we see no reason to discuss
their character at length. In our
opinion they have no merit. but
ent their adoption BY the Senate can
have no possible effect except to de-
Heat the participation Of the United
States in the treaty. None Of them
could by any possibility be accepted
even by the great nations associated
with the United States in the war
and none OF them could by any possi-
bility be dictated to Germany. To
adopt any one Of them. therefore, is
equivalent to rejecting the treaty.
| Conference Not in Session.
The suggestion Of the majority re-
in session in Paris and could con- con-
slider any textual amendments to the
treaty made by the Senate, and that
German representatives could be
brought to Paris for that purpose. in
dictates . total misconception Of the
situation The peace conference has
acted finally upon this treaty.
Great Britain has ratified it. France
is about to do so, and with the action
Of one other power 1t will in all
alton even before the Senate of the
United States reaches a decision.
Conference Without Power.
Moreover. the peace conference pos
eesses no further power to bring
German representatives to Paris.
The power Of compulsion has been
exhausted. Germany was told where
10 sign and when to sign and when
10 ratify and Germany has closed the
chapter by signing and by ratifying
Germany cannot be compelled to do
anything more or different with re-
gard to this treaty by being con-
fronted with an amended treaty
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