Albuquerque morning journal., 1920-02-11
.IRRECONCILABLE
PACT OPPONENTS
START SQUABBLE
IN UPPER HOUSE
Debate on the Peace Treaty
S Revived Unexpectedly
By Those Opposed to It's
Ratification by America,
ECONOMIC CLAUSE Is
BITTERLY DENOUNCED
BOrah and Knox Brand This
Clause as "CrueI' and
IMurderous"i Formal
Consideration Monday,


10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wiREl
Washington, Feb. 10.-Debate on
the peace treaty was revived today
in the senate, although leaders
technically had laid the pact aside
for another week.
Irreconcilable opponents of rati-
fication brought up the subject.
Senators Borah, of Idaho, and
Knox of Pennsylvania, republicans,
denounced the treaty's economic
causes as "cruel' and 'murderous"
in its effect on the conquered peo-
pies and in the direct consequence
on the rest of the world,
Senator Borah also assailed Her
bert Hoovers stand on the treaty.
and called on him to reply to the
list of questions which have been
put by the Idaho senator to several
republican and democratic candi-
dates for the presidency.
The debate was preceded by
completion of the parliamentary
steps necessary to restore the treaty
to a status making formal consid
Grafton possible, the foreign rela-
tons committee reporting the pact
back to the senate with the re-
publican reservations framed at the
last session of congress.
Notice that formal consideration
in the senate would be requested
Monday was served by Senator
Lodge.
The announcement of the repub-
lean leader developed no decision
-. i -, 3 Ittt
tive business that the treaty later
was brought to the fore by Senator
Borah. Both he and Senator Knox
declared 1t would "impoverish"
Germany, Austria and Hungary
and that the result would be to de-
stroy commercial cornerstones on
which rested the financial stability
of Europe.
Senator's Hitchcock, of NebaslSa,
and Sterling, republican, of South
Dakota, replied briefly declaring
the only way the United States
now could throw its influence for
stability was by becoming party
to the treaty.
1T Is one thing" declared sena-
tor Borah, ito punish Germany,
but II is an entirely different thing
to reduce thousands to starvation.
1t is an unjust thing to put upon a
debtor a debt which he cannot pay.
but it is a cruel and murderous
thing to put on debt which in
wolves indirectly. as this one does.
the distress of others.
yet we are asked here to agree
to this treaty which will lmpoverish'
millions and then we are asked to-
appropriate money to feed the peu-
pie we have impoverished
President Wilson, the Idaho SEN
ator declared, mad held out against
some of the proposed eNactions
from Germany but had been over
ruled by Prefliers Clemenceau and
Lloyd George. Afterward the Eu-
ropean statesmen, Mr.. Borah as
serted, were reported to have re-
allied that they had gone too far
but to have been unable to cod
vince President Wilson the confer
ence should recede.
Suggesting that Lloyd George
had been led to make impossible
exactions' of Germany by prom
ises given in the heat of political
campaign, Senator Hitchcock de-
clared the United States could best
exert its influence for alienation
of the peace terms by ratifying the
treaty and accepting membership
on the powerful reparations COM
mission. Without such representa-
tons, he argued, this country would
be powerless to intercede.
: To this Senator Borah replied
that since the European nations
had overruled the United States
once on that proposal, they could
be expected to do so again, while
Senator Knox declared that while
the German reparations bill could
be increased under the treatyB
provisions by a majority of the
reparation commission. it would
take unanimous consent to reduce
it. bal
Mr.. Hoover's statement Sunday
night that he was for the treaty
with any reservations necessary to
safeguard the constitution and the
nations traditions, was declared by
Senator Borah to put Mr.. Hoover
in the same attitude as the irre-
concilables.
During discussion of Mr.. Hoov-
er's statement, Senator Borah res
urrected a reservation to article
ten, which he said, Senator Hitch-
cock submitted in the senate last
The only difference be-
tween the reservation and the one
drawn by Senator Lodge, the Idaho
senator declared. was that the for ,
mer contained the word unless"
where the latter used the word
until"
And Mr.. Hoover doesn't tell u.s.
he continued, whether he belongs
to the unlesites or the utilities,
Doesn't he know the intellectual
battle that 1t going on here to di-
vide the world between the two
Authorship of the reservation
was disclaimed by Sem
ator Hitchcock, who told the senz
ate it had been "erropeously sent
to the desk" along with others pro-
posed.