Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-01-15
Senator McCumber Protests In
Senate Against Shantuns
Amendment To
Treaty
AGAINST INTEREST OF CHINA
Republican Senator Asserts That The
Opponents of the Peace Treaty
In the Senate Are Trying
to XIII 1t.

Washington, D. Ex-senator Nc
Cumber, for 20 years Republican Sen
ator from North Dakota, in a speech
to the Senate, charged that the ma
jority of the foreign relations commit
tee is trying to kill the peace treaty
and the League of Nations. Senator
McCumber spoke after his second
breach with the opponents OF the
treaty on the Senate committee ON
foreign relations. In the present
breach, Senator McCumber voted alone
with the supporters of the treaty and
against the majority Of the committee
which voted to strike out Japan and
insert China in the three sections
awarding the Shaotung Peninsula.
why did the majority Of this COM
mittee pause in the midst of their
hearings to make this particular
amendment" asked Senator McCum-
Der. "The purpose is apparent. 1t
is to signify to the country that the
| Senate is hostile to this treaty. 1t is
to put Japan in a position where she
cannot withhold an appearance of be-
ing coerced to do what she has prom
Used to do. 1t is to create trouble be-
tween this country and Japan and
thereby send the first dagger thrust
into the body of this treaty.
Il am satisfied that no greater
blow could ever be struck against the
real interests of China than by such
an amendment.
SIS it any act of true friendship to-
ward China or a mere political move
to defeat the treaty? If its sponsors
now fail to come forward and openly
pledge that if Japan is driven out of
this treaty then the United States will
proceed s~inglehanded and alone to
drive Japan out of China-will renew
this world war and send our soldiers
into the Orient to fight for her, then by
this act they are betraying China with
a. false kiss.
"If, on the other hand, they declare
they will make war to drive Japan
cut of China, to prevent Japan receiv-
ing only those rights which the other
great nations of the world have re-
ceived, then they are proclaiming a
policy which they have assailed as be-
ing the most wicked part of the League
of Nations-a policy Of interference
with the quarrels of the old world.
Worse than that, while they violently
condemn a joint agreement with the
other great white nations of the world
to shield the greater white races from
humiliation, they would send Jul sons
to death to defend the inferior yellow
races whom we claim to be SO inferior
as to be unfit to associate with US.
Either we will bring both Japan
and China into this League of Nations,
which by the very terms of its pro-
visions will compel Japan to return
to China all the German rights &C.
quired by Japan, not only by conquest
but by the solemn agreement made by
her with China herself, OF you will
drive Japan out of the treaty, where
she will not be bound by the obliga-
tons which she would 3sume by join
ing the league, and where she will be
holding the German territory and all
the German interests by the right of
conquest and with the broken word
of China, she can work her way to
the very limit of s%ubjugation of all
the Chinese territory not now within
the sphere or influence of other pow
ers. With this League of Nations,
China obtains an assurance which is
tantamount to a guaranty by all the
world that not only will Japan return
to China what Germany wrested from
her in 1898, but henceforth and SO
long as this league shall last no other
nation shall rob China of one inch
of her territory or exercise any con-
troll over her people inconsistent with
the claims of complete independence
and sovereignty"
history Of the several treaties under which
Japan took over the German rights in
Shantung, promising to restore them tc
China. He then said:
by this amendment you declare tina
Japan cannot be trusted to keep sacred
her word, given not only to China alone
out also given to the United States anC
every other important nation by reiterat.
ed declarations.
There is but one honorable, upright
and proper course to be pushed by al
the great nations of the world, including
China and Japan. Let China keep hel
treaty; give Japan an opportunity to d.
what she has pledged her national honor
to do; cease this attempt to juggle thi.
country into war with Japan; defeat thi!
proposed amendment which arrogates tt
ourselves the right to annul a treaty be
tween China and Japan and sets a
naught O treaty made during the stres
of battle between our co-belligerents anC
Japan before we entered into the war
bring Japan and China into the worlt
league-as sure as the sun shall ris'
tomorrow Japan will keep her plighte,
faith, China will receive complete pres
ent justice and assured future protection
"On the other hand, force this breacl
of contract by China; drive Japan GU
Of this league by insulting her honor
relieve her from her treaty by frs
/ breaking it yourself and thereby install
ing her in her ~impregnable position o
> right of conquest, and China Is doomed
The other European nations cannot hel
, her because they are tied by their ow
= treaties, and you will not make war o
, Japan to help China after she has broke
her treaty.