The Washington times., 1919-09-10

1
prior TO their transmission By the
| President, from the documents laid be-
fore the House OF Commons and the
Chamber OF Deputies early in July by
the prime ministers OF England and
France. The records Of the peace con-
ference and OF the conferences Of the
Representatives OF the FIVE great pow
ers were asked for by the committee
and refused by the Executive. The
committee had before them the
Secretary of state, who was one OF
the American delegates and a signer
OF the treaty. and they also had the
privilege Of a meeting with the Presi-
dent at the White House which they
had themselves requested. The testi-
mony Of the Secretary OF State and the
conversation of the committee with
| the President. published in the record
OF the committee hearings. have been
! laid before the country by the press
and il is not necessary to say any
thing further in regard to them be-
cause the people themselves know
! how much information in regard to
the treaty was received by the commit
| tee upon those two occasions.
CIamOP Aimed at Senate.
'aThe character OF the clamor for
|
| fact that IL was directed solely against
| the Senate OF the United States and
| its Committee on Foreign Relations.
The treaty provides that II shall go
| into force when ratified by Germany
iand by three OF the principal allied and
associated powers, which are the
4 United States. France Great Britain,
Italy, and Japan. Great Britain very
naturally ratified at once, but no one
| Of the other four has yet acted. Persons
afflicted with inouirinR minds have
wondered not a little that the distress
ed mourners over delays IN the, Senate
! have not also aimed their criticism
at the like shortcomings on the part
of France. Italy, and Japan. an act Of
| even-handed justice In faulthndins
which they have hitherto failed to
| perform.
Perhaps it is well also to note and
to consider for a moment one OF the
reasons given for the demand for
hasty action, which was to the effect
that it was necessary to have prompt
ratification in order to renew our
trade with Germany. for even the
most ardent advocate Of unconsidered
action was. unable to urge that the
channels of trade to the allied coun-
| tries were not open. The emptiness
OF this particular plea for haste. now
rather faded, is shown by the fact
that we have been trading with Ger
many ever since the armistice. Be
tween that event and the end Of July
we have exported to Germany goods
valued at 81. .27O.624. In the month OF
June we exported more to Germany
than we did to Spain. In july. by or
ders Of the War Trade Board. the pro-
visions Of the trading with-tf e-eneTny
| act were set aside by the authorize
tion of licenses to trade. and exports
to Germany for the month OF July
amounted to 50. 2.4S6.742, while those to
Austria and Hungary were S1.01G51&
Trade Already ResuHed.
at is an interesting fact that the
exports in June IN Germany before
the relaxation of the trading-with-
the-enemy act. we're much larger than
after that relaxation, brought about
by allowing licenses, was ordered, an
indication of the undoubted truth that
our trade with foreign countries is not
affected by the treaty, but is gov
erned by the necessarily reduced pur-
chasing power Of all countries in Eu-
rope engaged in the war. AS a mat
ter Of fact, therefore, we are trading
with Germany, and II is a mere deIu-
sion to say that we can not trade with
Germany until the ratification Of the
treaty, because in order to do so we
require a new treaty of amity and
commerce and the re-estabiishment Of
our consular system in that country.
The United States, following the usual
custom, was represented in Germany
by Spain both in the consular and in
the diplomatic service, after the out
break of the war, and we can trans
act all the business we may desire
through the good offices Of Spanish
consuls until a new consular treaty
with Germany has been made.
Failed to Aid England.
Before leaving this subject II may
not be amiss to remark that Mr..
Lloyd George has recently made two
important speeches expressing grave
aprehensions as to the social and DO
litical unrest and the economic trou-
bles now prevalent in England. He
seems to have failed to point out.
however, that the ratification OF the
covenant OF the League of Nations by
Great Britain had relieved the situa-
tion which he had described. He was
apparently equally renliss in omitting
to suggest that prompt action by the
Senate Of the United States in ADOPT
ing the covenant of the League of Ma
tions would Immediately lower the
price OF beef.
I'm reporting the treaty to the SEN.
ate for action the committee proposc
certain amendments to tHe'te of the
treaty and certain reservations to be
attached to the resolution of ratih-
cation and made part Of that reso-
luton when 1t is offered.
Would Lay DOGGY.
'1n regard to the amendments gen
orally. IL should be stated at the out
set that nothing is more groundless
than the sedulOusly cultivated and
constantly expressed fear that textuaI
amendments would require sum-
mOning OF the peace conference. and
thereby cause great delay. There will
be no necessity of summoninC the
peace conference. because IL is in
session now in Paris with delegates
fully representing all the signatory
nations, as it has been for six months.
and 1t seems likely to be in session
for six months more. TextuaI amend
ments, II made by the Senate, can be
considered in Paris at once and the