The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-07-15
SENATE DEBATE ON
RATIFICATION NOW
ON IN WASHINGTON
COMMITTEE REPORTS THREE NIL
NOR RESOLUTIONS ON SUB
JECT, WITHOUT ACTION.

Washington, July 14.-The senate for
eign relations committee. beginning con
slderatlon today of the peace treaty, re
ported three minor resolutions bearing
on the Versailles negotiations, but took
no action on the question of asking
President Wilson to take part in com
mittee discussions of the treaty.
The resolutions reported would call
upon the president and the state depart
ment for information regarding an al
legged secret treaty between Japan ana
Germany: regarding Il protest said to
have been made by General Bliss. Sec
retary Lansing and Henry White
against the Shantung settlement; and
why costa Rica was not permit
ted" to sign the peace treaty.
Members of the foreign relations com.
mittee said virtually all of the two
hours meeting was taken up with con
sideration of these resolutions. and that
there was no discussion as TO inviting
the president TO meet with the commit
tee or of the proposal to consider sepa.
rately the peace terms and the League
of Nations covenant Detailed discus
sions of the treaty probably Will begin
when the committee meets again tomor-
row.
Immediately after the committee ad'
tourned. debate on actual ratification OF
the treaty began in the senate, Senator
Swanson of Virginia, a democratic mem
ber of the committee, opening with a
speech prasing the league covenant as
the only possible plan for preserving
world tranquility.
All of the resolutions reported by the
committee were amended in MINOR par
ticulars. That regarding the alleged
Japanese German treaty. introduced by
Chairman Lodge. and that relating to
Costa Rica. introduced by Senator La
Toilette of Wisconsin were reported
without record votes.
The Shantung resolution introduced
by Senator Borah, republican, of Idaho,
was represented by a vote of to l3, all
the democratic members present oppos-
ing it, and the republicans, including
Senator McCumber Of North Dakota
voting for it.
Senator Johnson, republican, of Cali
fornia. offered Il resolution i'm the com
mittee requesting that copies of all docu-
ments connected with negotiation of the
treaty be submitted to the committee.
While the committee was in session,
President Wilson discussed various
phases of the treaty. particularly the
Shantung settlement. with senators
who called at the White House.
On this point ii was said the president
pointed out that necessarily the Ameri-
can peace commissioners could not inn
pose their complete will on the peace
conference and were compelled to accept
some things in the treaty which they
personally disapproved. The president
also was said to have explained that
consideration had to be given the treaty
between the allies and Japan, made be-
fore the United States entered the war,
hy which the material German Interests
in Shantung were pledged to Japan
The president was said to have told
his visitors that the treaty did not give
Japan any political rights in Shantung
and in Kiao Chau, but only economic
rights which would terminate in 60 or 20
years.
Japan's delegates at Versailles, the
president was said to have told his call
ers. were instructed not to sign the
treaty unless the Japan-alied treaty
provisions regarding Shantung were ad-
hered to.
The president also was represented
as having expressed the view that 1t
was expedient to yield on Shantung in
order to have Japan as a member oil
the League of Nations.