Evening star., 1921-08-09
Negotiations of State De-
partment Are Being Veil
ed With Secrecy.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE IS IGNORANT
Hiram Johnson Asks Lodge for In.
formation as to Status of Pres
ent Proceedings.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


Senator Hiram johnson of California
has been making inquiries of Senator
Lodge. chairman of the Senate foreign
relations committee. to determine what
is going on between the United States
government and the German government
with respect to the establishment of
peace.
MIR. johnson is a member of the Sem
ate foreign relations committee. and as
such feels that he is entitled to know
what steps are being taken to make
peace with Germany He asked Mr..
Lodge if it was true that a 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
German reichstag committee on foreign
affairs had a copy of proposals to be
embodied in Il peace treaty. and again
IN" Massachusetts senator professed
ignorance.
Information Withheld.
What would we have said if all
this had happened under the last ad-
minlstration?' exclaims Senator John
una OF Information has been given
the Senate foreign relations commit
tees about the status of our neSotia- =
tions or conversations with the Ger
man government about peace This
iact mas not been generally known 1t
mas Deen supposed right along that
President Harding and Secretary
Hughes have been consulting the
Senate
Senator Lodge has himself hereto
fore insisted that the Senate had a
risht TO have its say in advance of
.ne actual signing of peace treaty,
ana he circulated a round-robin.
which was signed by practically ali
the republican senator's, expressing
the Senate's views about a treaty
"hlch was then under negotiation.
Others In Dark.
The Massachusetts senator was
asked whether the Senate would have
a. d similar opportunity to express ats
views on the new treaty. while II
was being negotiated, but this time
ne is reported to have said that he
supposed 1t was not matter of con-
Germ for the Senate until after the
treaty was actually signed and sub
urlsled 10 the Senate for ratification
whether Mr.. Lodge meant to convey
the impression that he himself had
reversed his previous views on the
subject of Senate Intervention in
peace negotiations or whether he
meant that the executive branch of
MT, rne government felt it was not a
matter OF concern for the Senate is
the basis of a good deal of specula-
tion at the Capitol
Senator johnson incidentally is not
the only member of the Senate for
elsn relations committee who says
ne is in the dark about the foreign
policy of the administrator. Others
are saying the same thing Senator
Lodge as republican leader naturally
bears the brunt of this disconten
he asked for an engagement with
President Harding just as soon as the
latter returns from, his ten-day trip.
whether it was to get more informa-
ton about the German treaty or to
discuss a Senate recess was not in
dicated.
No Explanation.
Certainly the Department. of State
has not given any sign of letting any
BODY know what sort of treaty is be-
be that Mr.: Lodge. having not been
given details of the parleys by Sec
retary Hughes. is asking the White
House for information. The usual
course is for the President or Secre-
tary, of State to advise the chairman
of the Senate foreign relations COM
mittee about important steps in for
eign policy. even tAbugh the details
are frequently withheld. In the case
Of treaty which is likely to be a
sometimes made to canvass senti-
ment in the Senate in advance to
determine a course of action. ;
On this occasion there is no ex-
planation of the Department of
States policy except one. 1t is being
said that. for reasons of domestic
politics, it might not be wise to pre-
cipitate controversy before the
treaty is actually signed. When once
the pact is made there would be diff
fculty in amending it. because that
would necessitate further negotia-
tions with Germany and more delay.
The Hughes policy is evidently to
confront the Senate with an Accom-
plished fact. just as Mr.. Wilson en-
deavored to do when he submitted
the Versailles pact.
Press Only Source Of News.
Summed up, the Senate foreign rela-
tions committee is officially in ignorance
of the fact that Secretary Hughes is
discussing new treaty with the Ger
man government. 1t knows only what
the press dispatches from Berlin have
reported, namely, that American Com
missioner Dresel has laid before the Ger
man government memorandum out
Department would like to see formu-
lated. The German government has
been discussing the matter with its
committees in the reichstag to learn If
approval would be given the pact The
answers thus far given in the informal
exchanges are said to Indicate eventual
agreement, but just what is to be in the
new treaty or what understandings are
Icing secretly made with the German
government nobody in the Senate claims
to krOw.
Copyright. 1921