McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1919-09-12
"A SHOCK TO
The COUNTRY"
SENATOR HITCHCOCK so CHAR
ACTERlzEs SENATOR kNox's
ATTACK ON TREATY.
"INSANE FOREIGN POLICY"
amendment or Defeat Of the Treaty
Would Be Commercial and Finan-
ial Disaster for America"
Says Nebraska Senator.

Washington (Special) Declaring
that any amendment to the treaty OF
peace, good or bad, reasonable or un,
| reasonable, means the defeat of the
treaty, with all its disastrous conse.
quences, Senator Hitchcock of Nebras.
ka made a powerful speech in the sen.
ate today urging .hat the treaty pe
ratified without delay and without
amendment.
Referring to the recent speech of
Senator McCumber, republican, OF
North Dakota, who voted against the
Shantung amendment in the foreign
relations committee, Senator Hitch
cock said:
| He has shown that the proposed
amendment, instead OF helping China,
deprives her of the benefit of the
promises and concessions the United
States has exacted from Japan. He
has shown that Japan is already in
possession Of the German rights, priv
ileges and leaseholds. He has also
shown that Great Brit ain and France
are under pledge to Japan to stand by
her In her claim, and he has chal-
lenged the supporters OF the proposed
amendment to show how China can
possibly be benefited unless, when we
reject Japan'g promises, we propose to
| so to war with her end drive her out
OF Shantung for the benefit of China.
u think the senator from North Da-
kota Eonclusively demonstrated the
| Jolly of the proposed amendment as
far as it concerns China and the dan
ger that it involves to the United
States"
Senator Hitchcock then explained
the inevitable results IL the senate
should vote in favor of the Shantung
amendment or any other. He said
that one of two things would happen
| either the president would refuse to
| go further with the treaty, or he would
have to submit the amendment to the
nations associated with the United
States in the war.
Does any one believe" asked the
senator, that the other nations would
accept the ShSntung amendment"
He pointed out that Great Britain
has already ratified the treaty and is
under pledge to Japan with reference
| to Shantung; that France is soon to
ratify the treaty and is under the same
pledge to Japan.
Does any one suppose that Japan
herself would submit to such hui
initiation before the eyes OF the
world?" asked Senator Hitchcock.
'The answer Ii simple" he asserted.
I'VE would find ourselves out in the
cold. isolated from the rest of the
| world.
What, then will the United States
DO? What will those American states
men propose who stand for this meth
cd of killing the treaty? Some OF them
will say that congress can pass joint
resolution declaring q state of peace
with Germany. Others say the United
States can negotiate separate and in
dependent treaty Of. peace with Ger
many. Those who talk this way evi-
IDENTIFY have no conception OF the
enormous benefits and advantages
which the United States derive from
this treaty which we wrung from Ger
many at the cannon's mouth. Neither
have they any conception Of the diff
culties involved In negotiating new
treaty with Germany to establish the
terms Of peace and settle the contro-
veries OF the war.
| ITO my mind 1t would be suicidal
for the United States to throw away
the advantages and benefits provided
in this treaty. 1t would be disastrous
commercially and financially. II
J would put us at an enormous disad-
vantage In our international relations
not only with Germany, but with those
nations which we would thus desert.
They would remain bound together by
ties of mutual interest They would
enjoy the benefits Of the treaty and
would not be slow to take every ad-
vantage of them. They would resent
our desertion.
"Up to this point have discussed
the possible defeat of the treaty BY
means Of proposed amendments to 1t.
That is the real program and hope Of
the majority Of the committee ON for
eign relations. 1t 10 for that purpose
that the treaty has been locked up in
| cold storage for so many weeks. The
enemies of the league Of nations in
the senate are not many compared to
its friends, bpt they control the com
mittee. Tht AVE felt justified in
retaining the treaty in the com.
.mittee, holding useless hearings and
making killing amendments with the
full knowledge that amendments
would beat the treaty just as effective
ly as a refusal to ratify.
"A few, very few, senators have
declared that they would vote against
the treaty because Of the league of ma
tions, but 1t has remained for the SEN
ator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Knox to
declared boldly AGAINST our participa
ton in the treaty settlement.
ITO say that he has amazed shs
country is to put II mildly-he has
shocked the country.
STRANGELY enough, after months ci