The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-02-01

se3.t1r Knox c., hnaer:ca's Pro-
poso* E;orei~n 81. soas "Stupen-
dous and prepo8ecrc:.~ Want U.
S. Out.
WASHINGTON, Feb. l-Rc,r!hlicans
Of The S:ia1e S!i;r.. X attacked the
plan for dealing |r.;h German colo
nies and occupied territories of Tur-
key in Asia.
1t was announced in Paris rs hay
ing heen proposed ny Pres dent " t.
son and accepted i'll pr nc:rlr =: tite
Supreme council,
Senator Lodge. massachusetts,. Re
Publican Leader sad h" report IF the
plan which would commit the United
States to co.. o,.r.. II in maintaining
order in occupied territories, was "ab-
solutely &rhelievabe."
Senator Knox. Pennsylvania, assert
Cd the proposed obligations would in
volve "A stupendous and preposter-
Gus undertaking"
Senator johnson. California, de-
nounced the method of making public
the proceedings at the peace confer
ence He asserted he never would
vote for a treaty that provided for
the sending Of American troops to
Africa or Asia.
Senators Walsh, of Montana, and
Lewis, of Illinois. Democrats. express
ed doubt regarding accuracy of the
dispatches. Senator Lewis said the
reported plan would violate the fun
damental principle of self-dete:mina-
ton of peoples rs applied to the Ger
man colonies. He believed the real
agreement merely was for their tenn
porary admni stration by the league
of nations.
Senator Knox raised the colonial
question in discussing the probable
size of the future American army.
Senator Lodge sad apparently the
United States was tn rake part in the
mana cement Of the German colonial
possessions. He asked if American
troops We're To he used.
"Certainly How could he main
tain order OtherwiSc?" Senator Knox
replied. "You can't rule those people
by moral sUASion.'
Reading from dispatches of Ameri-
can correspondents at Paris regarding
proposed decentralization Of the
German possessions. Senator Knox
said no other conclusion could be
reached. The peace conference pro-
posed. he continued, that part Of the
"truSteeship or gnardianship' should
be assumed by the United States.
eff that is true. no army we could
possibly raise and no taxes we could
secure would be sufficient" said Mr..
Knox.
81 hope these reports are not true,"-
said Mr. Knox. 81 can't believe they
are, and that, without consultation Of
congress the committees having
charge of these matters, or the Amer- !
can people. we will be pledged to any
such stupendous and preposterous UNI
dertaking"
Senator Vardaman, Democrat, Mis-
interrupted to ask if it
would be possible the senate would
ratify a treaty containing such pro-
visions.
Senator Lodge said "all this time
has been spent discussing questions
not essential to peace with GERMANY.
or to get our men home" With regard
TO reports America was to be com
mitted TO maintenance Of order in
German East Africa, he added:
1--WE seem to have involved our
selves in serious difficulties with tn
and the Beers of Sout
African populations, with whom W
have always been most friendly. Il
some way, apparently, we are goin
20 undertake to watch over state
composed of HottentOts and otheY
folk Our first duty is to make peace,
which I don't think is concerned very
much with what happens in Africa"
SnatOr Thomas, Democrat, COlOra-
do. interrupted to ask if it was not
indispensable to dispose of the Ger
man African colonies.
Il think the colonies ought to be
taken away from Germany" answered
Senator Lodge warmly. eve ought
% turn them over to the people who
captured them, to make any diSpo-
sition they choose. Why should we
Q charged with administering them?'