The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-11
SACRIFICE OF
WAR GAINS IN
PACT CHANGES
IS PREDICTED
Minority Report Submitted
Today to Senate Declares
Amendments Will Mean
Loss of German Concessions
CHARGE SENATE DELAY
(By Associated Press)

w NA0I144NG J. O4N, Sept. 1l-heJSCllOu
of the peace treaty with It's league of
nations covenant, or adoption of
amendments would mean sacrificing
by the United States of all conces-
sions obtained from Germany under
q dictated peace, minority members
OF the foreign relations committee de-
clared in report presented today in
the senate.
The report, prepared by Senator
Hitchcock of Nebraska, ranking Dem
ocsatic member of the committee,
urged speedy ratification of the treaty
without amendments or reservations.
1t deplored the long and unnecessary
delay to which the treaty has been
subjected while locked up in the COM
mittee whose recommendations were
from the start a foregone conclusion"
and asserted these recommendation
could have been made in July.
Senator Shields, Democrat, Tennes-
see, did not sign the report, having
announced that he favored league
covenant reservations prepared by
Chairman Lodge. 1t was stated that
he would not present a separate re-
port. Those signing, in addition to
Senator Hitchcock, were Senators
Williams. Mississippi Swanson, Vir-
ginia; Pomerene, Ohio; Smith, Ari-
Zona, and Pittman Nevada, all Dem
ocrats.
Compulsion Is Exhausted.
The minority denied the claim put
forth in Chairman Lodges report that
the peace conference was still in ses-
sion and had power ito bring German
representatives to Paris" saying such
power of compulsion had been ex-
hausted, and that Germany had clos
ed the chapter by signing and by rat
flying"
'If an amended treaty is not signed
by Germany" the report added, then
is it in none Of its parts binding on
her"
The report mentioned twelve conces-
sions the United States would lose by
failure to ratify the treaty, these in
Guiding industrial and economic ad-
vantages and agreements.
Reservations proposed by the ma
jority, the report said, were for the
purpose of destroying the league"
which has stood the test of the world
wide criticis4 and unlimited attack"
The minority urged that the work
of the peace conference be confirmed
and the peace Of the world advanced
by ratification Of the treaty described
as the best hope of the world ''even If
like all instrumentalities it be not di-
vinely perfect in every detail"
Industry In Ferment.
The report contended that the indus
trial world was lin ferment', the fl
nancial world in doubt and commerce
halted while delay on the treaty had
been caused by the majority of a
committee known to be out Of har-
ha n ioritSy nF Sonata and
the majority OF the people" This was
declared to be government by obstruc-
ton as we'll as by minority.
Export trade, the report said. had
suffered because of delay in ratifica-
tion; that private credit waited for
peace, and that this government, which
hs been advancing to European gov
ernments has about reached the end
of it's authority given it by congress.
Private enterprise, it said, from now
On must keep up American commerce
with Europe. Answering the major
ity the report said exports to Germany
since the armistice amounted to only
IA cents worth of American products
for each person in Germany, or two
cents per person per month.
referring to the action of the ma
jority of the committee" said the re-
IOIl, VIC ullILC III oppoSlh5 ohi3 WA
deming the recomme mendations both as
TO textual amendments and as to pro
posed reservations. AS far as the pro
posed textual amendments are con
Germ we see no reason to discuss
their character at length. In our opln
ion they have no merit, but whether
they be good. bad or Indifferent the1l
adoption by the Senate can have nc
possible effect except to defeat the
participation of the United States ir
the treaty. None of them could by
any possibility be accepted even BY
the great nations associated with the
United States in the war and none ol
them could by any possibility be die
tated to Germany To adopt any one
Of them therefore is equivalent to re
jeCting the treaty.
Ready for Operation
The suggestion of the majority re
port that the peace conference Is still
in session in Paris and could consider
any teNtual amendments to the treaty
made by the Senatae and that German
representative could be brought te
Paris for that purpose indicates
total misconception of the situation
The peace conference has acted final
ly upon this treaty. Great Britain has
ratified 1t, France is about to do so
and with the action of one other
power it will in all human proba bility
be in actual operation even before the
Senate of the United States reaches
a decision, Moreover. the peace con
ference has no further power to bring
German representatives to Paris"
The power of compulsion has beer
exhausted. Germany was told where
to sign and when to sign and wher
to ratify, and Germany has closed the
chapter by signing and by raufying
Germany cannot be compelled to dc
anything more or different with regart
to this treaty by being confronted
with an amended treaty whether once
a month. day or week. There mus
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