New-York tribune., 1919-10-18
Both Democrats and Repub.
licans Publicly Attack
Proposal to Dispatch U. S.
Detachment to Armenia
Brandegee Wants Inquiry
Borah and Hitchcock Clash
OverPresident'sAu
to Order Soldiers Abroad
Nec York Tribune
Wushiuoton Burenu

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1.-THE send
ing of American troops to Silesia to
help police that country while the pleb.
lscite provided for in the peace treaty
with Germany is being held, was
severely criticised by Senators on both
sides of the chamber to-day. The
proposal to send troops to Armenia
also was attacked. The British are
withdrawn from Armenia because there
remain no undeveloped oil supplies in
that country which the British can
obtain.
Il received great many letters
from people, mostly clergymen, who
are very much interested in the Ar
menian question, and they ask that
menian people from slaughter by the
Turks" Senator Brandegec said in
beginning the discussion.
"They state that the determination
of the Armenian race is threatened.
OF course we know, or have been in
formed through the press. that the
British are withdrawing rapidly their
forces from Armenia and the Caucasus
and have requested this country to
there to take the place of the with
drawn British troops
Who'll Go? Brandegee Asks
Senator Brandegee referred to the
Williams resolution authorizing the
President to send troops to Armenia.
"A proposition was made in the COM
mittee," Mr.. Brandegee said, "to re-
quest that information be given to the
committee SO that it could act intelli-
gently on the resolution, but owing to
representations made to the committee
as to the inability Of the President to
transact business of that kind at this
time the request for information was
not pressed and the whole matter re-
mains in abeyancc.
"Meantime the people continue to be
agltated about what we are going to do
TO protect the Armcnians, and all that
am able 70 answer is that we have
never declared war on Turkey and the
! only way J know to protect the Armc-
mans IS to send an army over there to
tight off the Turks Whether these
mans want to compose that army them
serves or want to send their wives on
this mission I do not know"
senator Brandegee quoted news dis
patches telling of the sending of 5000
american troops to Silesia. "If the
! President of the United States thinks
1t ls necessary for Congress to author
izc him to send troops to Armenia I do
not understand why similar resolu-
ton would not be necessary to author
ize. the sending of our troops to ST.
lesia," he said.
Force to Lithuania
II have just been informed and very
reliably" said Senator Mccormick,
that it is now contemplated to send a.
| brigade to Lithuanis, which I thought
might interest the Senator in connec-
ton with what he is saying about these
other military excursions"
Senator King said he would not feel
like voting for the Armenian resolu-
ton, but that he considered that ques-
ton was different from the use of
troops in Silesia.
Senator Wadsworth, chairman of the
Military Affairs Committee, said he
| had taken the Silesan matter up with
General March. chief of staff. "I
learned" he saic, mat the expedition
consists in the aggregate Of about
5000 men, the 5th and 10Th regiments
of infantry, and suitable detachments.
Service is Indefinite
ut is bound in the first instance
for Coblenz, to be held there pend
ing the time when directions shall be
given it by some higher authority to
proceed to Silesia, and there partici-
pate in the policing for the plcbiscite.
This American force, | was given to
understand, was to form part of
force contributed by at least,two other
nations, the aggregate Of the Allied
force at this time to consist of some
thing like $4,000 men. The time at
which the force is expected to arrive
IN Silcsla is practically uncertain. The
time of its service there is entirely un-
certain.
81 was given to understand that the
dispatch of this force was due to some
arrangements made by the American
peace commission in Paris. and that
the power to send this force springs