The sun., 1919-08-05
WILSONIAN SECRECY
BEWILDERS DAVIS
Presidential Aid Unable to
Explain Action Taken
on Treaty.
sptctal pespaseA 70 TH. sus.

WASHINGTON, Aug. Norman Davis.
one of the American financial advisers
to the peace delegation In Paris, gave to-
day the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee another manifestation Of the
ignorance In which even the closest AZ
sociates of the President were kept dur
ing the deliberations of the Peace Con-
ference. Mr., Davis had appeared to ex-
plain the processes through which the
United States had been excluded from
any share In the indemnitias TO be paid
by Germany. but his explanation gave
little light to the committee.
Mr.. Davis told the committee that the
American peace delegates had expressed
no opinion as to whether the United
States should participate In the distribu-
ton of the indemnity. which Germany
must pay. He said that they had felt
that they were without authority In the
matter. This absence of information pro-
voked the committee members to an at
tempt TO gain by cross-examination some
sort of an explanation of the course the
President and his four colleagues had
followed.
U. 8. Position Not Deemed.
According to the witness the impress
zion was not given to the conference that
the United States would ask for no part
OF the indemnity, but, on the other hand,
no insisted that the American delegation
had not told the representatives OF the
other interested nations that the United
States would not participate.
I'VE felt we had not the authority TO
do So" said Mr.. Davis. IT will say, how
ever, that our position was somewhat
different from the other nations. in that
our interests were 80 infinitesimal d.
rectly as compared with the others. We
were looking to the interests OF the whole
world"
This conveyed little or nothing to the
committee members The members
could not understand why. II the United
States was not to be q participant In
the division of Germany's indemnity the
amount which would be due America
should not be equitably distributed
TO the heavier suffers among Americas,
associates In the war. particularly Bel
GUM, France and Serbia. With this
idea in mind they tried to dalve further
into the situation. but found the wit
ness devoid of information which could
serve to enlighten them.
I'VE were trying not to trade for
something. but wers looking rather to
the interests Of the whole world" Mr.
Davis said when piled with questions
as to why the American delegation had
followed the course Il had chosen. Mr.,
Davis, however, did tell the committee
that on the question OF whether the
United States would accept German Sc
ouritles In substitution for obligations
of the Belgium Government held In the
Upited States Treasury, the President
contemplated 20 recommending to Con.
gresA
Mr.. Davis will appear before the
committee for further hearing to-
morrow and on "wednesday Secretary
of State Lansing will take the stand.
Reservations Under Way.
Tho group OF Republican Senators
who have been working together In the
effort to formulate and agree on a reso-
luton stating the form of reservations
TO the peace treaty believe they have
made substantial progress toward agree
ment Their conferences were under
taken with a view to unifying views in
stead OF having almost every Senator
working alone on pct plah for draft
! ing the reservations. They are agreed,
Senator Lenroot (Wis.) said to-day. on
the specifications regarding Withdrawal.
the Monroe Doctrine and domestic
| questions.
'Four-fifths Of the Republican sena-
| tors are in approximate agreement as
to these reservations" said Mr.. Len
root. land It is not fair TO refer to them
a. representing group Of mild res
ervationists They are the essential
reservations that will make II possible
for the league covenant to be ratified
without them II cannot be ratified. Al
20 Article X. we do not go 50 far az
Mr.. Root suggested. He would strike II
out entirely We would limit 1t with the
Ing under that article the judgment OF
America. reached at the time, should
determine our course. Otherwise our
statement of the reservations essential
before ratification Is substantially In
agreement with Mr.. Roots opinion"
|