The sun., 1919-07-29
Brandegee Explains.

Brnndegee Explains.
Mr.. Williams INDUCED in considerable
sarcasm at the expense of Mr.. Bran
degee and others who had assumed that
they had made a discovery and that
something had been seduiously concealed.
When Mr.. Williams had finished his
remarks Senator Brandegee took the
floor. He said that on July ~ he first
saw the article in HarveYs Weekly,
which the next day he read in the Sem
ate. This article contained the text OF
the special treaty with France, including
Article w. thereof. the agreement that
the special treaty was TO be laid before
the proper parliamentary bodies In Eng
land, France and the United States AT
the same time the general treaty OIL
peace should be presented to them. Later.
Senator Hitchcock had called Afternoon
to the fact that the text Of this speciai
engagement with France had been pup
1ished in the newspapers.
s"All this is entirely irrelevant 10 what
said on that occasion" declared Mr..
Brandegee. Il don't care II. the text OF
the treaty was printed in the news
papers. That Is not equivalent 10 us
officia1 communication to the senate.
When the President came here and ad-
dressed the Senate in connection with the
Submission of the treaty OF peace ne
said: I shall presently have occasion 70
lay before you a special treaty with
France, whose object Is the temporary
protection of Franco from unprovokeo
aggression by the Power with whom this
treaty OF peace has been negotiated. Its
terms link Il with this treaty. take the
liberty. however, of reserving IL for spe-
cial exploitation on another occasion.
Article w OF this special treaty, Mr..
Israndegee reiterated, provided that 1t
should be submitted to the Senate stimuli
t6neousiy with the general treaty OF
peace. According to the London Times
and the Paris Figaro 1t was submitted
to the proper legislative authorities In
London and Paris In accordance with
this agreement.
.'when this triple pact was published
r. the London Times" said Senator
Brandegee, ait was published as an off,
cial paper. On July the Times an
nounced that II had bean issued as a
white paper of official character.
Cannot Atone for Violation.
ARTICLE ". shows that the Presi-
Gent. as chief of our negotiators, agreed
to lay this treaty before the Senate at
the same time as the general treaty Of
Versailles.
at 10 n frivolous and silly thing to
attempt to explain that at the same
time meant at any time whatever be-
fore the treaty OF Versailles was dis
posed of. No lawyer would pretend to
say that at the same time means any
thing except what 1t says, and not at
any old time. Apparently the President
violated the provisions of Article ~,
and that violation cannot be atoned for.
II IL beyond redemption. To lay the
t~aHo 20
would not be compliance.
Z "He told US that the special treaty
for the protection OF France was linked
with the general treaty of peace. We
should, then, consider the two together
They were submitted thus simultane-
,cusly to the British House of Commons
and tho French Chamber of Deputies
But only the treaty Of peace has yet
been submitted here.
cit now appears that this agreement
had been published in this country; but
that Is not submitting II to the Senate.
which is only done by the President.
When the President submits a treaty to
us he 10 supposed to explain the reasons
for its negotiation. Now. when we have
called upon the President for inforfna-
ton regarding the transactions at Paris
he has replied to US that he is unable
yet to tell what he can submit to U.s.
We are entitled TO all OF It at once.
The President says this special en-
Eagement for the protection Of France
Is linked together with the peace treaty
That being true. the treaty should not
be submitted to the Senate piecemeal
What the President has put together lei
no man-least OF all the President--put
asunder. II could have my own way
there would not be another day of con-
sideration for the peace treaty until we
had the other covenant before US.
II wouldn OF take one wing and at
tempt to ny with II without the other
We are entitled. and the country Is en-
titled, to have 1t laid before US.
He Explains Conference.
THE Senator from Mississippi talked
of a conference held by Senators Knox
Borah. Lodge and myself. The only
thing that could be referred to as a con-
ference arose from the fact that when ]
saw this article charging that the Presi-
dent had broken his own treaty, I was
unable to believe II could be true.
went to the other Senators mentioned
and asked IL 1t were possible that Article
~. was in the treaty.
I'VE procured copies of the Londor
and Paris papers and found II published
there. The Senator from Nebraska, Mr.
Hitchcock, hearing, what said from the
floor on the subject, informed the Sen.
ate that he had an authorized copy Of
the special treaty and presented 1t here
Why one Senator should have the docu
ment in his possession while it wal
withheld from the Senate and the For.
eign Relations Committee don't know
Aside from what have stated there wa,
no conference of the Senators mem
toned. wanted to be sure that Arti
Gle ~. was still in the document Wher
] found that II had been presented e
the House Of Commons. acted upon b,
that body and printed in the Londor
Times and the Paris Figaro 1t seemed a.
least interesting to me.
In my opinion the President has VIC
lated the provision of the treaty, anC
II could have my way the Senate woulC
not proceed ono step further with tn,
consideration Of the peace terms until
hi lays this DOCUMENT before u.s."
While Senator Brandegee was speak
ing the Senate chamber had filled will
Senators. who. hearing that something o.
special interest was afoot, had come II
from committee rooms and cloak rooms
When he sat down an air OF expectanc,
pervaded the chamber, everybody assum
Ing that the passage at arms had onl,
passed through its first stage.
But expectation was disappointed. TIL,
Incident was closed. As Mr.. BrandeRe,
sat down Senator Smith (Ga.) rose I,
demand attention to a matter of rotitin,
legislation