The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-17

be tainted, or that the senate was ig-
nored.
No Preeedents to Invoke.
Never having had anything like the
Paris conference happen before with ef-
forts to keep bulky document like the
peace treaty from being distributed
throughout the world. no precedents
could be invoked today TO define re-
sponsibility for what has occurred,
Aside from the political advantage of
Paris with respect TO open diplomacy.
nobody inside or outside the senate was
really very much perturbed today about
the developments in the leak hearings.
All sides admit that the document over
which the controversy began will not
be the final treaty, as the daily press
cables from Paris tell OF important
changes. Elihu Roots admission that
| President Wilson had a right to with
hold the text of the treaty till It was
| finally completed and signed by the
parties to the negotiations and that he
himself did not favor wide distribu-
| ton OF the document until 1t was a
| treaty gave much comfort to the de-
tenders of the president, but, onN the
| other hand. Mr.. Wilson's opponents
\ noted that Mr.. Root thought as a mat
| ter of policy. though not necessarily OF
| right il would have been wiser for the
president to inform the senate foreign
relations committee for the whole sem
|
Leak Hearings Closed.
| But the leak hearings appeared a
closed incident, with attention promptly
transferred to the fate Of the resolu-
! ton proposed by Senator Philander c.
Knox, republican. and former secretary
of state. asking the peace conference to
| insert provisions enabling all powers to
sign the peace treaty and discuss the
| league of nations afterward. There Is
much concern at the capitol about 1t.
| Democrats think II is the gravest as
sault that has yet been made on tho
presidents work at Paris. but the dele
cations representing countries asso-
| ciated with us. Republicans would like
| to pass 1t II they could. But really
they do not expect to do SO. They have
enough votes to make a profound i'm
preston. but not to interfere with the
presidents powers. for the resolution
cannot command a, majority. l have
| the impression, however, that the re-
publicans will press 1t, not because
they want 1t passed, but because they
They say the introduction Of the reso-
| luton and debate will be a hitting
preface to the reservations later to be
made when the treaty itself is sub
mitted for ratification. On the other
hand, they look upon It as a good
chance to take a test vote and to sec
what the country thinks of the sugges-
lions covered in the Knox resolution.
am advised today that Senator Knox
drew the resolution himself and showed
it to Senator Lodge. who approved 1t,
but that the proposal was not widely
distributed or in any sense the outcome
of party conference.
The Battle to the Death.
| Democrats are prepared to give pat
tie to the death on the Knox resolution.
They will probably filibuster If there is
any chance of it coming to vote. And
to prevent a filibuster requires q two
thirds vote of the senate, which the re-
lpublicans could not command, as more
than a third of the upper house are
democrats. So one can consider the
Knox resolution part of the propaganda
of publicity of the drive against the
league of nations. The leak hearings
were to have shown some alleged I'M
proper connection between Wall street
AMI the peace treaty. but If 1t had been
sought to develop carefully the status
of international finance with relation to
European credits it would have been
| found that big bankers acting in behalf
of the investing public of America will
be vitality interested In Europe's finan-
cial status as will a few million Ameri-
cans Who own liberty bcpds. The peace
of Europe and tine ability of our allies
to pay their big debts to the United
States have been giving much concern
to bankers. Interesting suggestions
were made at the leak hearings look
Ing 10 a sCOT1DlndllOH Oh all the Ddlhiii6
and industrial interests of America in
| financing Europe, or rather in stabiliz-
| ing her economic conditions by the ex-
| tension of private credits. The leak
committee might have found out, had
it pursued this line of thought in what
a serious plight Europe finds itself,
| how much in need of American goods
are European peoples and what an OPP
portunity is offered to make Americas
| expanded war facilities meet European
demands and thus give employment to
| more people in this country and keep
wages higher. But that line of reason
| ing might have developed arguments
| for the league of nations and the early
| ratification of the peace treaty.
| Dislike Of Wilson Basis.
| Thus does the senate warfare pro-
coed with investigations, new resolu-
| lions and speeches galore, charges and
| recriminations, which, If reduced to
single sentence simply means that dis
| like of President Wilson and dislike OF
everything he does are synonymous In
| the republican senate and that the SEN
| ate gets away with its tactics because
| Mr.. Wilson'S aloofness from the senate
| and failure to keep them constantly
advised or to select men In whom they
had confidence, coupled with dissatis-
| faction with domestic policies of the
| administration, have produced enough
| manifestations of opposition to make
| the senate republican leaders think they
can even take a hand in the negotia-
| tions in Paris at long distance and re-
tain the support of American public