Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-11
SENATOR JOHNSON
ASKS |NFORMAT|ON
]. ON HUN-U. s. PEACE
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal.)
DOWNRIGHT 1921

Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON, Aug. Ex-senator
Hiram Johnson, of California, has
been making inquiries of Senator
Lodge, chairman of the senate for
sign 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 meet peace with Germany. He
asked Mr.. Lodge If it was true that
treaty was being negotiated with
Germany. Mr.. Lodge said he had
not been advised by the executive
branch of the government. Senator
Johnson wanted to know if the Ger
man reichstag committee on foreign
affairs had a copy of proposals to be
embodied in a peace treaty, and again
the Massachusetts, senator professed
ignorance.
What would we have said if all
this had happened under the last adj
ministration?" eXclaims Senator
Johnson as he points out that not a
scintilla Of information has been
given the senate foreign relations
committee about the status of our
negotiations or conversations with
the German government about peace.
This fact has not been generally
known. 1t has been supposed right
along that President Harding and
Secretary Hughes have been con-
sulting To senate
ChieE Criticism of Wilson
That was the chief criticism lev
elled against the Wilson administra-
uon-a refusal to take cogniZance of
the treaty-making power. Senator
Lodge himself insisted that the SEN
ate had a right to have it's say in adj
vance of the actual signing of a
peace treaty and he circulated a
round-robin which was signed by
tors expressing the senate's views
about treaty which then was under
negotiation.
The Massachusetts, senator was
asked whether the senate would
have a similar opportunity to ex-
press us views Oh the he" treaty
while it was being negotiated, put
this time he is reported to have said
that he supposed it was not a mat
ter of concern for the senate until
after the treaty was actually signed
and submitted to the senate for rati-
to convey the impression that he
himself had reversed his previous
views on the subject of senate in
PREVENTION in peace negotiations or
whether he meant that the executive
branch of the government felt It
senate, is the basis of a good deal
of speculation at the capitol.
Senator Johnson, incidentally, is
not tf1e-effly member Of the senate
foreign relations committee who says
& he is in the dark about the foreign
! policy of the administration. Others
are saying the same thing.
Lodge Bears Brunt
Senator Lodge, as Republican
leader, naturally bears the brunt OF
4 this discomfort. He asked for an
engagement with President Harding
8 lust as soon as the latter returns
q from his ten-day trip. Whether 1t
was to get more information about
the German treaty or TO discuss
a senate recess was not indicated:
Certainly the department OF stase
has not given any sign of letting
ANYBODY know what sort Of treaty is
being outlined to Germany and 1t
NAV be that Mr.. Lodge, having not
been given details of the parleys by
Secretary Hughes, is asking the
White House for information: Inc
usual course is for the president or
chairman of the senate foreign re-
lations committee about important
steps in foreign policy even though
the details are frequently withheld.
In the case of treaty which is
likely to be source of controversy
efforts are sometimes made to can
vass sentiment in the senate IN ad-
vance to determine a course of &C.
ton.
On this occasion; there isSno ex-
planation of the department or state
policy except one 1t Is pens n sala
tics 1t might not be wise to precipi-
tate a controversy before the treaty
is actually signed.
The hughes Policy
When once the pact is made there
would be difficulty in amending 1t
because that would necessltate fur-
Their negotiations with Germany and
6nore delay. The Hughes policy is
to confront the senate with
an accomplished fact just as Mr..
Wilson endeavored to do when he
submit tted the Versailles pact.
summed up, the senate LOieISh g
ations committee is officially in ig-
&norance of the fact that Secretary
Hughes is discussing new treaty
2with the German government. L
Knows only what the press dis
patches from Berlin have reported
j namely, that American Commissioner
Dresel has laid before the German
government a memorandum outlining
he kind of a treaty the state depart
: nent would like to see formulated
The German government has been
discussing the matter with its COM
;. mittees in the reichstag to learn if
pproval would be given the pact
The answers thus far given in the
Informal exchanges are said to indi'
ste eventual agreement, but just
Whist is to be in the new treaty OF
wna1 understandings are being Sc
cretiy maze WITH the German gov
ernment nobody in the senate claims