The daily times., 1921-08-10
MAKING INQUIRIES
The Senator From California
Harshly Criticizes the Ad-
mtnistration for the Secrecy
Being Maintained as to Ne
gotiations for Peace With
Germany.
(By David Lawrence.)
copyright, 1921, by The Daily
TimeS)


Times).
Washington, Aug. 10.-Senator
Hiram Johnson of California has
been making inquiries of Senator
Lodge, chairman of the Senate For
eign Relations Committee, to deter
mine what is going on between the
United States government and the
German government with respect to
the establishment of peace
Mr.. Johnson is a member of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
and as such feels that he is entitled
| to know what steps are being taken
to make peace with Germany He ask
ed Mr.. Lodge if it was true that a
many. Mr.. Lodge said he had not
been advised by the executive branch
of the government. Senator johnson
wanted to know if the German Reich
a copy of proposals to be embodied
in peace treaty and again the
Massachusetts, Senator professed
] Ignorance.
| What would we have said if all
this had happened under the last ad-
ministration" exclaims Senator John
son as he points out that not a scin-
tilla of information has been given
f, the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee about the status of our ne
gotiations or conversations with the
iGerman government about peace.
This fact has not been generally
known. 1t has been supposed right
along that President Harding and
!Secretary Hughes have been consult
ing the Senate. That was the chief
Icriticism levelled against the Wilson
Administration refusal to take
lcognizance of the Senate's function
as part of the treaty-making power.
Senator Lodge himself insisted that
the Senate had a right to have its say
in advance of the actual signing of a
peace treaty and he circulat,i a
lround-robin which was signed by
practically all the Republican Sen
ators expressing the Senate's views
about a treaty which was then un-
der negotiation.
The Massachusetts Senator was
asked whether the Senate would
have similar opportunity to express
it's views on the new treaty while it
was being negotiated but this time
he is reported to have said that he
supposed it was not matter of con-
Germ for the Senate until after the
treaty was actually signed and sub
lmitted to the Senate for ratification.
Whether Mr.. Lodge meant to convey
the impression that he himself had
reversed his previous views on the
Isubject of Senate Intervention in
peace negotiations or whether he
meant that the executive branch OF
the government felt it was not a
matter of concern for the Senate is
the basis of good deal of specula-
tion at the Capitol.
| Senator Johnson incidentally is
not the only member of the Senate
i Foreign Relations Committee who
says he is in the dark about the
foreign policy of the Administration.
Others are saying the same thing.
Senator Lodge as Republican leader
naturally bears the brunt of this dis
content He asked for an engage
!. ment with President Harding just as
soon as the latter return from his ten
; day trip. Whether it was to get more
information about the German treaty
, or to discuss a Senate recess was not
indicateeG
: Certainly the Department of State
has not given any sign of letting any
body know what sort of treaty is be-
| ing outlined to Germany and it may
be that Mr.. Lodge having not been
given details of the parleys by Secre'
| CONTINUED on page 81