The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-17
TREATY DOES NOT
 DELICATE THE U. 5.
 ID TAKE UP ARMS
Administration Leaders Take First Notice of Attack on the Four-PoWer Pa
 cifiC Agreement
By Associated Press

Washington, December 16.=While another assault on the four-power Pacific treaty was in progress to- day in the Senate, administration spokesmen took their first notice of the discussions and let it be known that they did not regard the treaty as imposing an obligation to take up arms.
 No provision of the new agreement, it was declared in highest adminis- tration circles. obligates any one of the four powers to take military measures in pursuance of decisions reached by consultations among them. It was added that any such guarantee did not in any sense rep resent the spirit of the treaty
 The officials were not willing to go further in interpreting the pact, but In response to questions they reiter- ated their understanding that the region of the Pacific ocean," as the term is used in the treaty text in- cludes the principal islands of the Japanese empire and Australia and New Zealand as we'll British spokes- men have indorsed that application of the term and have declared it to be the unanimous understanding in which the treaty was signed.
 Reed Attack
 The attack on the treaty in the Senate during the day was made by Senator Reed, who referred to the question of Japan proper within the scope of the pact and declared an obligation was included for protec- tion of Japanese territorial integrity He again characterized the arrange ment as an alliance by which the United States would have little to gain and much to lose.
 Senator Reed also declared the four power plan might compel the United States to go to war against China or Russia.
 Further than this there has been no attempt by the administration to interpret or explain the language of the treaty, repeated queries meeting with the response that the text of the agreement speaks for itself. The same attitude of silence has been adopted by administration senators and after the three-hour attack of the four power Pacific treaty today by Senator Reed Senator Curtiss of Kansas. their party whip, announced that there would be no discussion of the subject until it Is formally sub mitfed by President Harding.
 Curtiss' Statement
 MT. Curtiss' statement was made. it was understood. as an explanation for the fact that no speeches had been made in favor of the treaty of the reply of the attacks Senators Reed and Borah, republican, Idaho.
 1t has been indicated all the agree ments reached in the conference will be forwarded to the capitol after the conference ends.
 Senator Reed announced another purpose He proposed to send "the treaty to the American people. just as was done with the treaty Of Yer sailles," and he predicted that by the time the voters have an opportunity to act on the question, they will know that this treaty has all of the vices charged to the treaty of Yer sailles. with none of it's virtues"
 MT. Reed declared he could see nothing but trouble in the new agree ment and attacked the administration for what he described as changing face,' saying there was no difference, except grammatical changes, between the four power pact and the Yer sailles covenant. His speech through out was interspersed with attacks on Great Britain and Japan, each of whom he declared had come to the armament conference with the "avowed purpose of getting them selves out of a hole"
 Ties Us Up
 "This treaty ties us up W tn the only nation that has shown us an ugly pair of teeth in years" e con tinued. "I wonder what the people of the Pacific coast think of their new protector I wonder if they feel hat
 tContinued on Page sixteen)