The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-10
BAD TASTE

For the past several days a storm has ragged in the senate of
the United States over the report that a copy Of the treaty sub
nitted to the Germans has found its way to this country. The
two elements that have contended with one another held con-
flctng views. The one represented by Senator Lodge and
Senator Borah was OF the opinion that certain financial interests
that would be greatly concerned over the terms of the treaty
were favored with a copy, which, they limited, might have been
supplied at the direction of the president; the other element,
headed by Senator Hitchcock, was OF the opinion that the
Republicans were instrumental in bringing the copy to this
country for the purpose of embarrassing the president, defeating
the league OF nations and otherwise obstructing the work Of the
peace conference.
Mr.. Lodge saw a copy, or perhaps two copies, of the treaty.
and knew of the presence of no less than four others. He used
his high senatorial prerogative to attack the president and the
administration, and took refuge behind the high senatorial pre-
rogative to conceal the source of his information.
The document read into the record by Senator Borah may
be the proposed treaty, but it is not a treaty until it is signed.
No matter how it happened to come into this country-and it did
not come honestly, for no man could have either received it
or transported it without doing a disservice to his country-t
was the height OF imprudence for Senator Borah to present it to
the senate.
If the Germans have abused the confidence of the peace
conference by distributing the treaty and supplying neutral
countries with copies, that does not acquit Senator Borah or
anyone else of gross breach Of faith. There are a great many
things that the Germans have done that are not worthy Of emit
lation.
The treaty might have been available in legislative branches
Of the allied governments, but it should be said in their behalf
that they had the wisdom and sense of propriety to observe the
ordinary decencies Of the occasion and have not even discussed it.
We are not so sure that the president will be handicapped
in his work in Paris by this exceptional violation of diplomatic
ethics, and we are confident that it will only serve to strengthen
the faith of the people Of this country in him.
The world is acquainted with a general outline of what the
terms embrace, and furthermore there is but little curiosity over
them. Il has been said for a week or more that a copy OF the
terms might be purchased in almost any European country for
the equivalent of Is cents, and there was no account Of any great
demand for the document. 1t is doubtful in the extreme If it
would bring that price if it were available in the book stores
Of the United States.
There is no crime in having a copy of the treaty in ones
possession; there is no censure to be attached to anyone curious
enough to want to delve into the innumerable pages of type
written manuscript in one or three languages, if one happens to
be master OF so many. 1t is merely a matter Of taste which the
private individual may exercise as he wishes, and with assurance
OF the total indifference of the rest Of the world but for a
member Of the senate, and especially a member Of the committee
on foreign relations, to bring the subject up for discussion
before it has been completed; before it has undergone the
innumerable changes to which it must be subjected; before it
has the stamp Of approval of the allies; while negotiations still
are pending with the Germans, and the world is wishing for
an early settlement, is so gross an abuse of the time-honored
relations existing between the two departments of the govern
ment as to deserve the censure and condemnation of all right
thinking people.