The sun., 1919-10-16


one for the United States. 1 have too
much pride in my country and too much
b respect for its flag to approve any, treaty
\ that comedies precedence to Great Bril-
tain or reduces It to political equality at
home or abroad with a colony or subor-
dinate division of that empire. Our flag
with my consent never shall float lower
than that of Great Britain or any COM
A>bination of nations
Colt Against Amendment.
Senator Colt Or. l., opposed the Shan
tung ame9dment, but declared himself in
favor of meeting this issue by reserva-
ton. He also said he would vote against
the johnson amendment He said in
part.
I'VE are all familiar with the fact
that II Is common for the United States
TO make reservations in ratifying
treaties, as for example the treaty of
Algeciras and the Hague peace confer
ences and In these instances the reserva-
lions were acquiesced in by the other
parties. 1t is well,to remember in this
connection that II Is usage or custom
which makes international law. The
Shantung amendment changes the text
OF the treaty by substituting China for,
japan in certain articles. With this
textual change we have made a new
signatories for approval This requires
new negotiations with every signatory
and opens a wide door for controversy.
Would Great Britain or France, not tn
mention Japan, accept this new treaty.
Looking at the existing. international
conditions is It not apparent that this
treaty would fail If this amendment were.
adopted?
but suppose now We express our
dissent to the Shantung articles in the
| form of reservation. The effect is
simply to change the treaty so far rs
the United States is concerned and to
leave 1t in full force as to the other
! Powers. In this way we will have
accomplished the same end as by an
amendment and in a manner which will
hot defeat the treaty. Now all we have
said in regard to the Shantung amend
= mont applies with equal force to the
johnson amendment If there is an in
equality in giving the British Empire
six votes, do we remedy this evil by
giving the United States six votes and
leaving France and Italy and some
twenty odd members of the league with
only a single vote?
II am in favor of reservation clari-
Tying the article dealing with the Mon
roe Doctrine and making it certain in
case of any dispute that the United
states is to be the judge as to whether
II Is within that doctrine. 1t must be
made clear and certain that the Monroe
Doctrine is outside the jurisdiction of
the league.
Il am in favor also of taking away
from the council the power to decide
whether a dispute relates to domestic
questions and expressly reserving that
right to the United States, and also of
simplifying the fact that all internal and
domestic questions are outside the juris-
diction of the league"
Thomas ON shantung Case.
Senator Thomas (Col0 reviewed the
history of Japan's relations to her
neighbor. He condemned strongly the
processes by which the Island Empire
has come to a large measure of domna-
ton, but asserted that the United States
was In measure an accessory after
the fact so far as concerned Japans &C
QUESTION of rights in Shantung, because
at the time II did not protest. AS to
the treatment of Corea 2nd Coreans by
the japanese he doubted If the situation
were so bad as represented
"Japan's case" said Senator Thomas.
has been vastly injured by presentation
of Its twenty-one demands to China un-
der the circumstances that surrounded
that act. Japan Is now in eastern ST.
berfa and intends to stay there: will
stay there She is entrenched in Mon
golia and Manchuria and will stay there
Between the new German Republic,
which still calls Itself the German En-
pire. and Japan is vast region in
habited by 1s0.000.0o0 restless, people,
disturbed disorganized. untipately to
come into control of the mantbn horse
back. Why should Japan. If we reject
this treaty. return to the Versailles con-
ference when a combination of the three
great Powers l have mentioned is fairly
in sight, all of them under the hegemony
OF Imperial Japan. What better justi-
hcation could Japan find for forcing and
perpetuating that combination, with all
the menace to Western civilization that
would be involved in 1t. than the adop-
ton of this amendment by this Govern,
ment?"
Senator Thomas concluded that Japan
never would assent to the amendment
that is proposed and that to adopt It
would be the most unfortunate treat
ment of the subject.
Secret Treaty IndefensibIe.
Senator Borah summed up the argu-
ment for the amendment "The attitude
of the United States" he said, was
an encoura cement TO China to enter the
war. 1t was a promise of friendship,
VI PIottCllOu 10 Cnind at the Peace
Conference And we did try; as we all
know, TO extend our aid to her there
until secret treaties came into the con-
sideration. The President has repeatedly
expressed his regret that he could not
do more for China
THE British attitude was like our
own: China was encouraged to enter the
war Britain accepted great and vital
support from China, yet at the very
time China was preparing to become
her ally Great Britain was making secret
These were kept from Chinese knowl-
edge until China's representatives learned
OF them at Versailles. It was indie
feasible, and the more so in view OF
the fact that these secret treaties were
not disclosed to the United States. while
we were promulgatlng the principles OF
honor and fair dealing on which we en-
tered the war.
s,"Germany held nothing in Shantung
that she was free TO transfer to an
other Power. That was forfeited when
China declared war All German rights
Reverted TO China. The United States
an be accused of no bad faith We
re in position to assert and protect
'ur honor and Japan cannot protest
apan has nothing on which to rest her
claims, except desire and power and
we are about to indorse 1t on that basis
alone. There Is no Senator who will
maintain that this settlement is any
thing but great wrong The President
4 has said IL was All the world knows