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JAPAN SAANTUNG
Lansing Believes Treaty Would
Have Been Signed.
LEAGUE PLAN NOT PRESSED.
Secretary of State Testifies Before
the Senate Foreign Relations CON-
mittee on Treaty With Germany.

Washington, Aug. Lansing told
the senate foreign relations commit
tee that the American plan for. a
league of nations was mot pressed
at Versailles, and never was presented
to the full peace conference.
The secretary, appearing at pub
lie hearing of the committee, said he
did not know whether copy of the
American draft still was in existence.
He presumed, he said, that the draft
was made by President Wilson and
added that copy might still be III
the presidents possession.
Mi. Lansing did not recall how the
American plan differed from that
eventually adopted. Asked by Sena-
tor Brafidegee, Republican, Connecti-
cut, whether it was true that the
American plan was drafted by two
New York lawyers for the president,
the witness replied:
81 think that is not true"
'And was the plan not destroyed
because it was so absurd?" asked Mr..
Brandegee.
81 never heard of that" said Mr..
Lansing.
The secretary said he thought the
plan now embodied in the league
covenant was a decided improve
ment" on the American plan. He
could not go into details, however,
because he was not a member Of the
commission which drafted the cove
nana. The American plan, he
thought, was "along the same general
lines" as the one adopted.
Mr.. Lansing said he had presented
a resolution covering general prin-
ciples" of a league, but no action was
taken on it.
Questioned about the league cove
nant's definition Of the Monroe doc
trine as a regional understanding"
Mr.. Lansing said it certainly was such
an understanding.
Discussing the Shantung provision
of the treaty, Secretary Lansing said
the Lansing-Ishii agreement made to
obtain reaffirmation by Japan of the
open-doOr policy in China, was enter
ed into by the American government
without knowledge of the secret treaty
between Japan and the allies for
transfer of German concessions in
Shantung to Japan.
The net result of the Shantung
agreement was the loss of China's sig
nature to the treaty in the opinion
of Secretary Lansing. Japan would
have signed without this concession,
he believed. Responsibility for ac-
cepting the arrangement, he said,
rested wholly with the president.
The Shantung settlement was taken
up by Senator Borah, Republican, Ida
no, who asked when the state de-
partment first heard of the secret
treaty between Japan, Great Britain,
France and Italy for the cession of
Shantung to japan.
81 would have to look the matter
up before l could give a definite an
ever" Mr.. Lansing replied. He later
promised to do this and inform the
committee.
When the Lansing-Ishii agreement
was mdue, MI. A<stIlS1HS Sdlu, the de-
partment knew of Japan's twenty-one
demands upon China, but added that
the demands did not enter into the
discussion of the agreement.
"At no time was it understood that
the Lansing-Ishii agreement was the
indor.bment OF Japan's twenty-one
demands?" asked Senator Borah.
Absolutely not said Mr. Lansing
I'VE were opposed TO them"
and the agreement was not en-
forcement of the secret agreement re-
garding Shantung?" mo"
"And if you had known of those Sc
cret agreements would you have like
ly entered into the agreement with
discount Ishii?"