Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-08-23
Harrison Witthdraws Amend =. ! \, !,
ment Asking For Open
Sessions; Issue Breught
Forth During Discussion j |. =! !
OF Funding Confer rence

Washington, Aug. 2s.--Becahse q
opposition of Senator Lodge, one of
the delegates to the disarmament
conference, Senator Harrison, Demo-
crat Mississippi. today withdrew his
amendment directing the American
delegation to demand open sessions.
I Lodge Objects.
Senator Lodge told the senate he
objected to the proposal that five nas
tons sending representatives to Wash-
ington "in the utmost good faith. TO
discuss two of the most important
questions before the world, should
be met on arrival with senate res
olution anticipating any action they
might take regarding conference pro
cedure. tF5js
The trainers of the constitution had
ator, Lodge said. by requiring senate
action. But when it came to pro-
cedure by which treaties are negotiats
ed, Senator Lodge said. I'VE enter 4
more difficult ground. ..s
President Wilson, who had great
capacity for making new. phases" he
saids used the expression open COW
anants openly arrived at and gave thu
impression that everything in Paris
would b. done on the sidewalk. When
he reached Paris he found, of course,
he had to deal with thirty powers,
which referred certain questions ID;
committees, including the big four
which got down I think to the bix
three. -
Press Censored.
Whether President Wilson was
justly criticized, the fact is that the
press was censored and American
news was not allowed in Paris. nor
was Paris news permitted to come
freely here after the treaty was made;
even then we were not allowed to
know what had happened. We were
refused Information until the question
Of Zap arose about a, year later, and
then Mr.. Wilson sent certain notes
and records Of certain meetings to the
senate foreign relations committee
Senator Lodge declared that it had
been invariable practice Of Legislative
bodies to frame important Approprta-
tions and other measures behind clos-
| ed doors.
II do not believe that any one will
go to the disarmament conferences
representing'.t the president who would
not favor the largest publicity COM
patihle with public interest but to
ray that wsssehali never meet behifid
'closed doofs or that one delegate
l
concerning our problems. iss Of course,
proposing system we all know to ba
impossible and impracticable. We
have to draw the line somewhere and
procedure Of the conference cannot
be determined by a resolution of this
character, tackled IN as an amend
ment to an appropriation bill" go
Funding Discussed.
Washington, Aug. 23.-Demand by
the United States for open sessions Of
be construed as an insult to the repre-
sentatves of foreign nations, Senator
Harrison, Democrat, Mississippi, de-
clared in the senate today in sup
porting his proposal that the Amer
lean delegates use every effort to pre-
vent secret deliberations.
The issue was brought to the front
by the senator's amendment to a bill
appropriating 100000 for expenses
of the conference. directing the dele
gates named by President Harding to
work for public sessions.
I This amendment does not mean
that congress is attempting to bring
to bear any influence upon the con-
ference except through its own repre-
sentatives,' Senator Harrison de-
: clared
iNSiSiIAl6 " Tie secrecy at tef.
) sailles the Mississippi senator said
the Far Eastern questions to be tax
en- up here in November related tc
Shantung, zap, the open door IN
China and possibly the Japanese I'M
migration problem, all of which. he
added. have been discussed openly in
the senate for years. He insisted the
pubic should be informed from day
to day of all discussions OF naval re.
duction by the United States and the
other nations participating.
Turning to Senator Lodge, the Re
publican leader, named by President
Harding as a member Of the Amer.
can delega ton. Senator Harrison ex.
pressed the hope that the conference
would succeed.
But if we are to derive any bene.
! fit from it." he added, "the world
must know who rendered greal
service and where blame shall attach
in event of its failure Il hope the
distinguished senator from Massac chu.
setts will not take the position thai
the conference must be closed
g.