Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-03
SUICIDAL TOK|LL
PACT HITCHCOCK
Wilson's Spokesman Calls Knox
Plan Mixture of Poltroon-
cry and Folly
SPEAKS BEFORE SENATE
BY the Associated Press

Washington, Sept. 3.--Dcclaring the
real purpose Of the foreign relations
committee majority in amending the
peace treaty was to kill the treaty eli -
tirclv and that such n course would
be suicidal TO the United States, Sen e
ator IIitchc"'k. o. N"brnSkN ~" 49,
cratic leader. asserted in Senate
speech today that the majority OF the
senators never would accept amy "t
the committee changes.
The Treaty opponents. h' SAID
"rrawl on the ground with microscope
searching for pitfalls" in the league Of
nations aud overlook substantial ben"
fits which the treaty would bring the
nation.
The proposal Of Senator Knox that
the treaty be rejected and >"narat"
peace made with Germany was char
actprized by the speaker aN an insane
"mixturc of poltrooncry and folly.
by n vote of nine TO eight. SAID
Senator Hitchcock. "thC committee on
foreign relations is TO bring SquareIy
before the Senate the question "t de
feating the pending treaty. Suppose inc
Senate should vote in favor ct the
Shantung amendment or any Other:
What would happen?
President Might Baik
Either the President woum refuse
to go further with the treaty, or ne
would submit the amendment to the
nations associated with the United
States. Does any one believe they
would accept it?
Does any one believe that Great
Britain. who has already ratified tn"
treaty and is also under pledge to-
Japan with regard to Shantung. would
accept the ShantunG amendment? Does
any one think that France. also under
a pledge to Japan. would ratify this
change? Does any one suppose that
japan herself would submit to this
humiliation before the eyes of tn"
world?
81 cannot conceive of any intelligent
and candid man who would assume
such a thing as possibility. W"
would be met by an instant refusal to
accept the amendment. and then where
would the United States find itself in
this international settlement? We
would find ourselves out in the roId
isolated from the rest of the world.
The work of ratifying the treaty would
proceed without us.
Sees Big Benefits From Pact
"What then will the United States
do? Some say that Congress can pass
a joint resolution declaring state of
'peace with Germany. Others say the
United States can negotiate n separate
and independent treat Those who
talk this way evidently ] no concep
tion Of the enormous benefits which the
United States derives from this treaty.
"In article 231 Germany is compelled
TO accept full responsibility for the
damages caused by the war. Does any
one think if we undertook to negotiate
a separate treaty with Germany. Ger
many would make any such conreS
sions to the United States? Germany
might say she had never declared war
upon the United States that it was the
United States which forced war upon
her.
Take the matter of German prop
erty of the United States. Under this
treaty all acts of the United States and
Of the alien property custodian with re-
gard to that property arc validated Un
less Germany can show actual fraud
Is any one insane enough TO suppose
that Germany will voluntarily make
that concession to us if we lose the
hold upon her which the treaty gives?
Preparations Commission Powerful
This treaty creates a commission
called the rPparatiOns commission. I'm
questionably it will be the most power
full international body ever created. 1t
receives from Germany all reparationS
paid and distributes them to the vari-
Gus nations. Does any one think under
the circumstances the United States
can afford not to have representative
on the rcparationS commission?
ITO my mind it would be suicidal to
throw away the advantages and privi-
leges created in this treaty. 1t would
be disastrous commercially and fnan-
cially. ..s
Defeat Of the treaty by means IF
proposed amendments to it is the real
program and hope of the ma iOrity of
the committee on foreign relations. 1t
Is for this purpose that the treaty has
been locked up in cold storage for so
many weeks.
"A few, a very few have declared
they would vote against the treaty be-
cause of the league of nations, but it
has remained for Senator Knox to de
clare boldly against our participation
in the pCac" settlement. 70 say that
he has amazed the country is to put it
mildly. He has shocked the country.
He formerly favored taking the league