The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-09-11
REPORT Of
M|NOR|1Z
Six Members of Senate @
mittee Ask That Peace
Treaty be Un-
amended.
ONLY HOPE OF WORLD
Charge Opponents Know That Fair
Fight Cannot Win, So Attack
1t by Indlrec-
4 tlon.
ONLY HOPE OF WORLD

limited Press Leased wire SerVlce.1
WASHINGTON. Sept. II. - SIX
democratic members of the foreign
relations committee today presented
to the senate minority ieport On
the peace treaty, urging unquailneo
adoption Of the pact.
The report replies TO statements
made in the majority report fled by
Senator Lodge yesterday and chai ges
hat senators opposing the league of
nations, knowing it is invincible in
fair fight, are trying to defeat it
"by indirection" through reserva-
tions.
The proposed reservations, the re-
port said, have all the vices of
amendments "and the additional vice
of pretending to be what they are
not"-interpretations of The covenant
language.
The document, which was signed.
by Senators Hitchcock, Williams,
Swanson, Pomerene, Smith of Ari-
zona, and Pittman, stated:
That delay in reporting the peace
treaty has resulted in government
by obstruction. -
That American trade already shows
effects of this delay.
That adoption of the majority's
amendments or reservations means
the United States will lose all con-
cessions secured from Germany by a
dictated peace.
That the reservations are the work
of senators determined to destroy the
league and, il possible, defeat tie
treaty.
That the league of nations is the
worlds only hope of preventing in
ternational chaos.
That those opposing it have Moth
ing to offer to do this.
1--WE deplore," said the report,
"the long and unnecessary delay to
which the treaty has been subjected
while locked up in the committee
whose majority decisions and recon-
mendations were from the start
foregone conclusion.
'The Industrial world is in ferment,
the financial world in doubt, and
commerce halts while this great de-
lay in the peace settlement has been
caused by the majority of commit
tee known to be out of harmony with
the majority of the senate and the
majority of the people. This is gov
ernment by obstruction as well as by
a minority.
For the first seven months follow
ing the armistice, our exports aver
aged almost seven hundred millions
per month, but in July they fell to
$570,000,000. Europe undoubtedly
wants our exports, but can only take
them in full quantity If our financial
institutions provide the credit to
bridge over the period necessary to
restore European industry to produc-
tiveness. This private credit cannot
and will not be furnished as long as
the peace settlement is in doubt.
Since the amistice was signed, our
government has advanced to Euro
pean governments nearly two and
one-half billion dollars which was al
most enough to cover the balance of
trade during the eight months
period Our government, however,
has about reached the end of It's
authority given by congress, and will
advance but little more"
The minority ridiculec the claim
of the majority that trading with
Germany has been resumed and
while admitting over S11,000,00O
worth of goods had been exported to
Germany since the armistice, pointed
out that this Is about two cents per
month for each person in Germany.
Taking up the majority amend
ments reports, the report continued:
"As far as the proposed textual
amendments are concerned, they
have no merit. 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 would by any possi-
bility be dictated to Germany. To
adopt any one of them, therefore, is
equivalent to rejecting the treaty"
The suggestion that amendments
would not necessitate reassemb1ing
the peace conference, because 1t is
still in session, has no force, the
minority said, because the confer
ence has acted finally on the treaty.
Nor could German delegates be re-
called to Paris and forced to accept
the amendments, said the report.
The United States must sacrifice