Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-09-12
M|NORITY'S REPORT
SAYS RESERVATIONS
WOULD KILL LEAGUE
Senator Shields Leaves His
Colleagues and Joins Re-
publican Majority - Com
mittee Delay Criticized

f's issWASHINGTON. Sept. 11.-Rejec-
ton of the peace treaty with its
League of Natio1z covenant, Oh
adoption of amendments, would mean
sacrifice by the United States of all
concessions obtained from Germany
under a dictated peace, minority
members of the foreign relations
committee declared in a report pre-
scented today to the senate.
The report. prepared by Senator
Hitchcock, of Nebraska. ranking
Democratic member of the commit,
tee, urged speedy ratification Of the
treaty without amendments, or reser-
vations. 1t deplored "the long and
unnecessary delay the treaty has
been subjected while locked up in
the committee, whose 'ommenda-
tions were from the start a fore
gone conclusion and asserted these
recommendations could have been
made in July.
Senator Shields, Democrat. Of Ten"
nessee, did not sign the report, hav-
ing announced he favored league COW
enant reservations prepared by
Chairman Lodge. 1t was stated he
would not present d separate report
Those signing in addition to Senator
Hitchcock, were Senators Williams
merene, Ohio; Smith, Arizona, and
Pittman. Nevada, all Democrats.
The minority denied the claim put
forth in Chairman Lodges report
that the peace conference still was in
session and has power "to bring
German representatives to Paris"
saying such power Of compu1sion had
been exhausted, and that Germany
had closed the chapter by signing
and by ratifying."
eff an amended treaty is not signed
by Germany" the report added,
then it is in none of it's parts bind
ing on her.
Urges Treaty Adoption.
The report mentioned twelve con-
cessions the United States would lose
by failure to ratify the treaty, these
including industrial and economic ad-
vantages and agreements.
Reservations proposed by the ma
jority, the report said, were "for the
purpose of destroying the league"
which has stood 1.-The test of world
wide criticism and unlimited at
tack" ,.....
The minority urged that the work
of the peace conference be confirmed
and the peace Of the world advanced
by ratification Of the treaty describ-
ed as the best hope of the world
"even if like all instrumentalities it
be not divinely perfect in every de-
tail"
The report contended that the in
dustrial world was Gin ferment."
The financial world in doubt and
commerce halted while delay in the
treaty had been caused "by the ma
jority of a committee known to be
out of harmony with the majority OF
the senate and the majority of the
people" This was declared to be
government by obstruction as well as
by minority.
Export trade, the report said, had
suffered because of delay in ratifi-
cation; that private credit waited for
peace, and that this government,
which has been advancing to Euro
pean governments, has about reached
the end of it's authority given by con-
gress. Private enterprise, it is said,
from now on must keep up Ameri-
can commerce with Europe. Answer
ing the majority, the report said
exports to Germany since the armis-
tice amounted to only fourteen cents
worth of American products for each
person in Germany or two cents per
person per month.
referring to the action OF the
majority of the committee" said the
report, I'VE unite in opposing and
condemning the recommendations,
both as to teXtual amendments and
as to proposed reservations. AS far
as the propos- teXtual amendments
are concerned, we see no reason to
discuss their character at length. In
our opinionfi they have no merit, but
ferent their adoption by the senate
can have no possible effect, except
to defeat the participation Of the
United States in the treaty. None
of them could by any possibility be
accepted even by the great nations
associated with the United States in
the war and none of them could by
any possibility be dictated to Ger
many. To adopt any one of Them
therefore, Is equivalent to rejecting
the treaty.