The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-09-11
URGES SPEEDY
RATIFICATION
Hitchcock, Ranking Demo-
cratic Member of Commit
tee Presents Defense
of Peace Treaty.
SHIELDS DID NOT SIGN;
FAvORS LODGE VIEW.
Unnecessary Delay Deplored.
Rejection Means Sacrifice
Of Victory Over
GERMANY.

II OF victory over
u Germany.
n Warrington, Sept. 11.-(A.
N P.)-Chief interest in the peace
4 treaty controversy centered in
n The presentation to the senate of
the foreign relations commit
tees minority report recon-
mending immediate and unqual-
flied ratification of the treaty
with Germany as presented by
\ President Wilson. The report,
signed by six democratic mem
bers of the committee, was pre-.
4 sented at noon by Senate,
Hitchcock, leader 70 the minor
ity
Debate on the floor Of the sen.
ate will not be started before
/ Monday, when the treaty will be
called up to be kept continu-
ously before the body until final
! action is taken.
Rejection Means Sacrifice.
Rejection of the peace treaty with
re ut ~
adoption of amendments would mean
sacrifice by the United state. OF all
concessions obtained from Germany
under a dictated peace, minority
members OF the foreign relations
committee declared.
# The report prepared by Senator
Hitchcock, of Nebraska, ranking dem
ocratic member of the committee,
urged speedy ratification Of the
treaty without amendments or res
N ervations. It deplored "the long and
II unnecessary delay to which the treaty
has been subjected while locked up
/ In the committee, whose recommen-
dations were from the start a. fore
gone conclusion" and asserted these
recommendation could have been
made in July.
6tndtCT 1IIlciuc,
see. did not sign the report. having
announced he favored league cove
nart reservations prepared by Chair
man Lodge. It was stated he would
not present separate report. Those
! signing in addition to Senator Hitch
cock, were Senator'S Williams. Mis-
sissippi; Swanson. Virginia.; Pome-
4 rene, Ohio; Smith, Arizona, and Pitt
1 man, Nevada, all democrats.
n Denies Lodges Claim.
The minority denied the claim put
n forth in Chairman Lodges report that
n the peace conference still was in ses-
sion and has power ITO bring Ger
\ man representatives to Paris" say
\ ing such power Of compulsion had
been exhausted and that Germany
had closed the chapter by signing
and by ratifying."
& "If an amended treaty Is not signed
by Germany" the report added, then
1t Is in none Of it's parts, binding on
4 her"
81 The report numerated twelve con-
cessions that the United States would
lose by failure to ratify the treaty,
these including Industrial and eco
nomic advantages and agreements.
fOF destroying Gcd9ue'
Reservations proposed by the ma
iority, 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 con-
firmed and the peace of the world ad-
vanced by ratification of the treaty
described as the best hope OF the
world "even II like all instrument
alities It be not divinely perfect in
every detail"
The report contended that the in
dustrial world was "in ferment' the
financial world in doubt, and COM
rnerce halted while delay in the
treaty had been caused "by the ma
iority of a .ommittee known to be
out of har ~ with the majority of
the senst the majority OF the
y, was declared to be
uveraf;.t obstruction, as well
by p1irorif.
gSp,r, Trade Suffering.
Es sogtl trade, the report said, had
suf rs because OF delay in ratifica-
.ssa Aat private credit waited for
aHs that this government
Nas been advancing to Euro
Aslarnments, had about reached
s,ld 81 its authority given it by
sss Private enterprise, 1t said
r on must keep up American
a with Europe. Answering
rlLy the report said exports
sfSsny since the armistice
"a 10 only IA cents worth OF
products for each person In
nor nerG0O npr
ring to the action of the
$50 of the committee said the
I'VE unite in opposing and
ling the recommendations
IS to textual amendments and
proposed reservations. AS far
ef,A proposed textual amendments
Soncerned we see no reason to
ssAsss their character at length. In
opinion they have no merit; but
ether they be good, bad or indif-
sent, their adoption by the senate
an have no possible effect except to
6efeat 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 pos
r sihility he dictated to Germany To
adopt any one of them, therefore, is
equivalent to rejecting the treaty.
The suggestion of the majority re-
port that the peace conference is still
In session in Paris and could con-
slider any textual amendments to the
treaty made by the senate, and that
(centinued on Page Two)