The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-12

The president in a letter to Senator
Lodge, chairman OF the committee
denied the committees request upon
the ground that the information ASK
e. for would include many memo
rSnda which II was agreed on
,unds OF public policy 1t would be
arwise to make use OF outside the con-
terence.
The record Of the proceedings, ar
gsflsents and debates relating 10 the
e que of nations and all data bearing
wson or used In connection with the
peace treaty which the committee also
asked. were withheld by the president
with the explanation that he was only
following the example OF the repre-
sentatIves Of the other governments
The president informed the senate
that he did not know Of the, existence
OF secret tready between Japan and
Germany for the exploitation of Rus
sia. He also sent to the committee
the American plan for league OF
nations. which was written by him
end discarded hit the conference IN
favnr Of the British plan submitted
BY General SHUTS r~~s -~v--~~
rrptst Confidential
The protest by general Bliss. sec
rotary Lansing and Henry White
against the Shantung award was con-
could not be given the committee.
II was further explained that Il con-
tanned references to other nafiona
which general Bliss probably would
aot wish to have made public.
The presidents course in declining
10 give the committee the informa-
ton which il desired regarding GER
tain obscure provisions In the treaty
aesves the committee In a quandary as
A - Dc NJ
ierstood that the committee will take
IN the matter in day or so and de-
side what TO do In obtaining the
information Certain members OF the
committee are in favor OF postponinE
al action on tho treaty until the pres
dent comes through" with the data
-eauested, but senator Lodge counsels
I.ainst such a plan OF acticn.
.yenator Lodge. discussing the pres
idept'x refusal to send the desired In
formation, said.
.sThe committee hopes the Ameri-
an people will understand the diff
icuity the committee has had In get
ling any information about the treaty.
rhe president has sent us none OF the
documents we asked for except the
American plan, and that already had
.esn printed.
Senator Lodge indicated that the
committee will go on with the hear
In r. although he admitted very little
d to he gained by the process.
Secretary Of state Lansing was be-
lore the committee today. but most
81 his testimony had to do with the
Lansing Islrii agreement ana Japans
se-ret treaty for the appropriation
II territory.
David Hunter Miller. an attache Of
The state department. will be before
he committee tomorrow.
II IL not probable the committee
vfH send for Colonel House, ~ SEN
xt,r Lodge believes nothing would
Nand
Treaty Existance Unknown
Secretary LAnsings testimony to-
day was interesting in view Of the adj
nitional illumination It cart on the
lack Of information possessed by the
state department regarding JApan's
secret treaties with other nations in
HE war.
Thee secretary testified that when
HE United states entered the war u
was known at the department that
Japan and England had made = Sc
cret treaty, for the disposition Of the
German islands in the Pacific. But
ths existence ct the treaties with
England and France whereby those
nations pledged themselves 10 AZ
sist Japan in taking Shantung pro-
yfnce from China was not known At
that time NOR was It known until long
after Mr.. lansing had formulated the
-een cnt with Count Ishii.
The flrst information Mr.. Lam
s:ng obtained OF the treaty covering
Inc Shsnfung award was given him he
sajd Nv Sir Cecil Spring Rice, the
British ambassador. In February OF