Bisbee daily review., 1919-05-24
BITTER FIGHT |OVER TREATY Is PREsACED
Hiram Johnson Opens Attack Upon Floor of the Senate;
 Protracted Debate Expected
Full Text of Treaty Demand ed By c. O. F. Leaders :;
 Say Huns Already Have It

WASHINGTON, May 23-The peace treaty with its league of nations cove nant was debated for three hours in the senate today and at adjournment the resolution which furnished the vehicle for the discussion went over as unfinished business to come up again when the senate re-convenes Monday.
 The resolution merely calls on the state department to furnish the sen ate with the complete text of the treaty, but as the debate progressed. discussion shifted to the merits of the league and treaty themselves. A dozen senators including the leaders on both sides, were drawn into the discussion and sharp exchanges pre- saged the bitterness of the fight that is to come when the treaty actualiy comes up for ratification.
 Opponents of the treaty in its pres ent form lined up generally for the resolution and those supporting the treaty draft led the opposition There was no attempt to reach vote, how ever, and some senators predicted it would be several days before the pre- liminary skirmish would come to de- cision The leaders both for and against apparently are feeling their way carefully.
 Cards Not or Table, Says Hiram
 Senator Johnson of California, Re publican, author of the resolution, started the debate today with, short speech charging that the treaty SUD- porters had something to conceal" This assertion drew an indignant re- ply from Senator Hitchcock of Ne braska, ranking Democrat of the for eign relations committee, who de- clared the president was following well-established precedents in keep ing the treaty text in confidence, and that for the senate to request him to do otherwise would be Ca gross breach of international propriety."
 Republican Leader Lodge. prospec- tive chairman of the foreign relations committee, replied to MT. Hitchcock, declaring there was no impropriety in the resolution unless it were i'm proper to "call attention to the new method of open covenants openly ar rived at"
 Every shopkeeper in Germany, de- clared the Massachusetts senator, was reading the treaty as made public at Berlin, yet the senate was pro- vided only with worthless" official abstract
 b. A charge that the Republicans were attempting to make the treaty a par tisan question, was made by Senator Robinson of Arkansas, Democrat, who cited as evidence the telegram sent by MT. Lodge some weeks ago to Re publican senators asking them not to discuss the revised league of nations covenant pending party conference The Republican leader retorted that the cautionary telegram had no such purpose and that mot wordY of dis cussion of the treaty has passed in any of the conferences of Republican sen ators.
 Sherman Attacks Wilson
 A bitter attack onsthe league cove nant and f President Wilson's course in the peace conference was made by Senator Sherman of Illinois, Republican, who earlier had presented resolution declaring 1t the sense of the senate that the treaty and the covenant should be considered sepa- rately when they come up for ratifica- tion.
 At MT. Sherman's request his reso- lution went over and will be called up for debate probably next week. How long the discussion is to con- tinue could not be predicted by either side tonight. Senator Robinson gave notice that he expected to address the senate at greater length Monday in support of the treaty and Senator Reed of Missouri, Democrat, who is understood to oppose it. also. an nounced that he would speak on the subject Monday. Many other senators are known 10 be preparing addresses.