The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-08-27
INSIDE FACTS
OF NEGOTIATIONS
Germany Told at Start that
America Must Have
Privileges of Allies
UNITED STATES
EXPECTS. NO PROTEST

| Will Inform Allies of Agreement With
Germany-Seeretary Hughes Well
| Pleased-NO Resumption of DiplO
matte Relations Before Ratification.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer) |
Copyright 1921.
| WASHINGTON, Aug. 27.-Now that
the treaty of peace between Germany
and the United States has been signed,
/ it is possible to disclose from govern
ment sources some of the inside facts
| of the negotiation.
In the first place, Germany was told
in courteous but firm terms that the
United States could not agree to any
thing which would place America on al
different footing with respect to Ger
many than the allied powers have been
under the Versailles treaty.
Secondly, the United States govern
ment felt it necessary to keep the ne
gotiations, secret because of a fear that
the critics both III this country and Ger
many would raise issues which would
make it. impossible to obtain an agree
ment.
| thirdly, the United States has kept
the allies informed only III an abstract
sense II what has been going and the
presumption is that now that the
treaty mas been negotiated the allies
i VIII he fully advised OF the agreement.
4 his government, however, fully expects
the alnes TO concur and sees no reason
4 TO ask tor explicit concurrence because
4 America has not been gwen any rights
or preferences by Germany which are
not enjoyed by the allies. No objections
from the aInes are therefore antlcI-
pated.
Difficult Task for Hughes
4 Secretary Hughes Is in a happy frame
OF mind today. He has successfully pl-
loted the Harding administration over
/, one of the toughest spots OF ITS whole
course. The department OF state did
not reveal the political difficulties with
= which Mr.. Hughes S task has been be
set but 1t Is Known that the secretary
lof state originally favored submitting
the Versailles treaty with broad ana
comprehensive reservations. Senator
? Lodge and the "ITreconcilables ~ group
| are said to have advised Mr.. Hughes
THAT the senate had been debating the
ersailles pact tor two years and
wOuldn I accept it under any consld-
ltrations. This compelled the secretary
to surrender his hrst convictions and
face the facts OF the sltuatlon-a pos
; sIbHity of an amending controversy or
a compromise that would bring an early
lpeace. - -..-'r .
II The necessity for CLEARING mp Aneri
o cas- relations with Germany and help
! ing toward the stabnHlng OF economic
= conditions abroad appeared TO Mr.
: hughes to be imperative in the IN
! itsrests OF humanity that he abandoned
II lthe Versailles pacI and drew another
Z ttrealy which merely referred to the CT
sailies treaty by mentioning certain ar
q tlcles. Ii would have been more eXph
y cit perhaps to have inserted verbatim
4 he language of those articles but il
Q might have offended some OF the ire
t conciables so only the numbers were
@ used for identification purposes. In do
o ing this Mr.. Hughes felt that he was
z simply following out the mandate OF
i the congressional peace resolution which
= specifically referred to the rights tc
(which America was entitled under the
: Versailles treaty
a Really Admit Responsibility
: The department of state revealed that
= the question of Germany 5 guilt had
:, been never an issue. The Germans by
q agreeing to give America all the benefits
arising out of the economic and repaTa
ton clauses of the treaty might argue
for the sake OF their own political sit
nation that they have not reatirmed
their responsibility for the war but in
o agreeing to those reparation clauses
they have from the viewpoint of Amer
. lea reasserted their eulpability
The whole document as published is
> the subject of Varying comment in the
> national capital. of course it will BIZ
rat fled though the department of state
/, makes it clear that until the United
: States senate and the Reicllstag act, nc
steps will be taken toward resumption
Iof diplomatic relations. Technically in
deed the status of the United States
= aud Germany is 10 different today than
:, II was a week ago when a signed but
I unratified Versailles treaty was before
the world as against a signed but TN
!: ratified treaty which has been substi
1 tuted for it. When the legislative bod
{ les of the United States and Germany
u have acted and ratihcations have been
Y exchanged the status will be altered
: Z peace proclamation will be issued by
the President and ambassadors viii be
exchanged.
Little Difference
The average critic of the treaty here
a who hasn't been a party to the contro-
versy sees little difference between Mr.
Hughes first plan of Versailles treaty
= with reservations or the new treaty
which includes certain pacts of the Yer
: sailles instrument. The only objection
: heard is from a legal viewpoint because
in the first part of the new pact there
! il specific reference made to the fact
! that the United States didn't ratify the
: Nersailles treaty and later on claims
;. are made for privileges and rights un'
: theless Charles Evans Hughes puts his
e stamp of approval on it and says the
/ new treaty Is legal-proof.s And that's
leuough for most folks hereabouts.
RED MEN INSTALL OFFICERS