The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-09-18
Senator Hitchcock SO Charac-
terizes Senator Knox's At
tack On the Peace
Treaty
INSANE FOREIGN POLICY
Amendment or Defeat Of the
Treaty Would Be CONNER
cial and Financial Disaster
For America, Says Nebraska
Senator


that any amendment to the treaty %
peace good or bad, reasonable or un
reasonable, means the defeat of tb,
treaty with all its disastrous conSc
QuenceS, Senator Hitchcock of Nebras
la made a powerful speech in thu
Senate today urging that the treaty b,
ratified without delay and without
amendment.
Referring to the recent speech of
Senator McCumber Republican ol
North Dakota. who voted against th,
Shantung amendment in the foreign
relations committee. Senator Hitch
cock said:
"lIe hrS shown that the proposed
amendment, instead of helping China.
deprives her of the benefit Of the
promises and concessions the United
States has eNacted from Japan. Hc
has shown that Japan is already In
possession OF the German rights, priv
ilegeS and leaSeholdS He has also
shown that Great Britain and France
are under pledge to Japan to stand by
her in her claim. and he has challenged
the supporters of the proposed amend
mcnt to show how China can possibly
be benefited unless, when we reject ia
pans promises, we proposed to 20 Ia
war with her and drive her out IF
Shantung for the benefit of CHINA.
Il think tile Senator from North
Dakota cOnclusively demonstrated The
folly of the proposed amendment as
far as ii Concerns China and the dan
ger that it involves to the United
States
Senator Hitchcock then explained
the inevitable results if the Semitic
should vote in favor If the Shantung
amendment or amy other. He said that
one of two things would happen
either the President would refuse To
90 further with the treaty or he would
have TO submit the amendment to the
nations associated with the United
States in the war;
> Does anyone believe asked the
Senator that the other nations would
accept the Shantung amendment" He
pointed out that Great Britain has al
ready ratified the treaty and is under
pledge TO Japan with reference to
Shantung; that France is soon to rat
ify the treaty and is under the same
pledge TO Japan.
Does anyone suppose that Japan
herself would submit 20 such a humil-
alton before the eyes of the worldf"
asked Hitchcock "rhe answer Is sim
pie, he asserted. We would find our
selves out in the cold, isolated from
the rest of me world
"What, then, will the United States
doi What will those American states
men propose who stand for this method
of killing the treaty? Some of them
will say that Congress can pass joint
resolution declaring state of peace
with Germany. Others say the United
States can negotiate n separate and in
dependent treaty of peace with Ger
many. Those who talk this way evil
deutly have no conception of the el,or-
nous benefits and advantages when
the United States derives from this
treaty which we wrung from Germany
at the lannon's mouth. Neither have
they any conception of the difficulties
Involved in negotiating a new treaty
with Germany 10 establish the terms
Of peace and settle the controversies
OF the way.
"TO my mind ii would be suicidal
for the United States to throw away
the advantages and benefits provided
In this treaty. II would be disastrous
commercially and financially. II would
put US at an enormous disadvantage
in our international relations not only
with Gerrsany but with those nations
which We would thus desert. They
would remain bound together by ties
of mutual interest They would enjoy
the benefits of the treaty and would
not be slow 10 take every advantage of
them. They would resent our deser-
ton
"Up To This point, have discussed
the possible defeat of the treaty By
means of proposed amendments TO it,
That is the real program and hope of
the majority of the committee on for
eign relations. IL is for that purpose
that he treaty has been locked up ia
cold storage for so many weeks. The
enemies of the League OF Nations Ia
the Senate are not many compared 10
its friends, but they control the com
mittee. They have felt Justified In re-.
tanning the treaty in the committee,
holding useless hearings and making
killing amendments with the full
knowledge that amendments would
beat the treaty just as effectively as "A
refusal To ratify.
a f,w, a very few. Senators have .
declared that they would vote against |
tn treaty because Of the League Of |
Nations, but Il mas remained for the |
Senator from Pennsylvania Mr) Knox