The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1919-07-25
PEACE PACT FIGHT
SHIFTS in SENATE
Breaks With New Fury About the
Provision Giving Shantung
to Japanese.
ACCUSATION OF OPPONENTS.
All Peace Data Asked for-Lodge Com
mittee Wants President to Submit
Everything Considered at
Paris,

WaShington.--After an ACRIMONIOUS
debate the senate adopted the resolu-
ton, offered a few days ago by Sen
ator Lodge of Massachusetts, calling
upon President Wilson for a copy of
an alleged treaty entered into between
Germany and Japan last October by
which the two nations are said to have
undertaken to engage in an independ-
ent peace pact. Under the alleged
treaty, Japan is said to have agreed to
try to obtain commercial advantages
for Germany in Russia, while allowing
Germany to participate in Japan's
rights in the Shantung Peninsula.
The senate adopted the resolution by
a vive voce vote, only few scattering
noes being registered against it. The
vote came after a vigorous protest by
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska, that
the senate was overstepping the pro-
prieties in assuming that Japan, a
friendly nation, had entered into a
secret engagement with the enemy for
a separate peace. Mr.. Hitchcock re-
marked that Mr.. Lodges resolution
Omitted Press) report from Bucharest
and that the association had taken
as its basis an unsubstantial wireless
report from the Soviet government at
Moscow.
The debate ran into the award to
Japan under the peace treaty Of the
commercial rights formerly held by
Germany in the Shantung Peninsula.
Senator Lodge became involved in an
animated exchange with Sen. Hitch
cock, the Massachusetts senator de-
claring that Germany had forced
China, under threat of attack, in 1898,
to grant rights in Shantung to the
Germanic Empire after some German
missionaries had been killed on the
peninsula. The granting of these
rights to Japan under the peace treaty
he characterized as a price paid to
Toxic for signing the treaty. Admin
istration supporters contended that it
was necessary to yield to Japan's de-
mand for Shantung in order to bring
about world peace.
Senator Hitchcock argued that the
United States, France, Great Britain
and other nations had recognized the
original grant of the Shantung PENN
sula to Germany. Acknowledgement of
it. he said, was made by Theodore
Roosevelt during his presidency
Japan fell heir to Germany's rights,
Mr.. Hitchcock said, through treaty
with China in 1915. II was this treaty
brought forward by Japan. that had
induced the Peace Conference to make
the award in the treaty of peace. Sen
ator Lodge characterized the treaty Of
1915 as "eXtortion."
Before the debate was over, Senator
Borah of Idaho had plunged into 1t,
along with Senators Moses of New
Hampshire, Norris of Nebraska, Nc
Cormick of Illinois, and Fall of New
Mexico, while Senator Williams,
Democrat, of Mississippi, joined the
forces in defense of the Shantung
award. Senator Williams told the
senate he understood that the Shan
tung privileges had been given to
Japan by the Peace Conference so as
to keep Japan from carrying out a
threat not to sign the peace treaty.
He warned the Republican majority
that if they persisted il stirring up the
Shantung matter and making insinua-
tons against the integrity of Japan,
there was danger of bringing on a
grave juncture with the Mikado's gov
eminent.
To this Senator Borah replied that
the threat of war issue with Japan
had been held out long enough. If
Japan felt it wanted TO challenge the
United States for declining to uphold
"bargain that meant the slavery
of 100000 Chinese in Shantung,"