The Washington times., 1922-03-10
'LDOGElOS|NG
GRIP ON SENATE
IMPACT BATTLE
Forced to Confess Ignorance
Of Treaty Details. az p
Senator Underwood.
By POLITICU6.


BY POLITICUS.
Truth dawps slowly in the Ben.
ate. Senators Lodge and. Under
wod Joined IN an smasing confss.
sion to the Senate Yesterday of their
ignorance Of the sscfet Negotiations
that rssllted in the four-powsr Az.
ance.
Both senasprs signed the treaty.
End !.ss sspstor LSdSs Hressn,ss ,s ,s TX e e
conference.
Senator Robinson of Arkansas
drew from Senator Underwood thd
meager items Of his treaty-makine
knowledge In the days Senate de-
bate. Then he rcornersd the Massa-
chusetts Senator and won from him
an astoundins ssr'ss q lnnstien, y,
know know, the details of trsmhe 'Hs four
Revelation Is Sensation.
The revelation was the Sensational
climax Of ? day full Of thrills. ssna-
tor Robinson. who represents the
Democratic opponents Of the treaty
that are friendly to- former Presi-
dent Wilson. delivered In oration
.that marked the high wafer tfde OF
Senatorial oratory on the treaty de.
bate. As a result. he was rewarded
by an audience both on the floor 0f
the Senate and in the gallery such a.
10 other Senator has been Able TO
boast. II gave a new impetus TO
the treaty. fight.
At the close Of Senator Robinson's
speech, Senator Lodge again served
notice that he intended to press the
treaty to speedy action. This brougpt
forth a sharp rejoindsr from Senator
Reed. who pointed out that the SEN
ate has had no Opportunity proper
~ 10 discuss the belated remarks OF
There were plenty Of indications
that the Massachusetts, Senator is
losing Ms grip on the situation ana
that she viii find It daily more dif-
ficult TO dodge question: about the
origin OF the treaty In one sentence
and to press for an Immediate vote
in the next. The opposition Senator'S
have not yet given up the nope tnas
aecretary Hughes can be Compelled
"a Hy,fire the secrets OF the Tour
bower treaty Of which Senators
i Eodss !; and nd Underwood un claim TO Dc
'sSenator Underwood's admission Of
his lack of knowledge concerning the
making of the four-power treaty was
exceedingly frank.
Underwood Explains.
IAN ] know is this" said the Ala
bama Senator. when The Ameri.
can delegation first met we discussed
the effect Sof the Angio-Japanese
siliance on the proposed naval re
auctions. ri We directed the chair
man OF the delegation, Secretary
Hughes, to confer with England and
Japan to see whether they would
consent to the cancellation OF the al
lance. That went on for some time.
-'''Then the chairman Of the Ameri-
can delegation reported that ne
thought an agreement couid De
reached by which the Anglo-Japa-
nese alliance could be 'canceied. pro-
vided something was put IN It's place.
did NOT engage In the negotiations;
The American delegates were told
that Great Britain was not prepared
to- cancel the Anglo j Japanese ALL
snce unless something was put IN its
place, because Australia and New
Zealand thought the alliance of some
value to them tN "'
;R"It was then proposed that there
should be a horsepower agreement.
At that time I waS called out OF the
city by a death i'd my family. When
I came back I was informed by
Chairman Hughes that an agree
ments had been reached and that
agreement is the present treaty.
agreed to what had been done"
Senator Lodge wns not out Of the
city during the negotiations, but his
ignorance proved even more com
plete than Senator Underworld
Few items Of dialogue in the Con
gressional Record are as startling
as the one that took place between
senator Lodge and Senator Robin
son.
'iwho wrote the four.power
treaty3' asked Senator Robinson,
II do not know" said Senator
Lodge, II was written by many
hands" :.
'"Iow many?r
AT least four"
-Four, who?"'
"Four heads of the delegations;
all Of them made suggestions"
How many7"
"I can't tell"
who made the first7"
II don't know"
Who first proposed the treaty"
II don't know" ~"
Senator Robinson summed up his
own conclusions by the declaration:
II am convinced that the treaty
was written with the brains Of Mr..
Raifour and the hands Of Toku-
gawa."
Senator Robinson,s speech was
listened to with particular atteRtion
because II was common report IN
the sentiments Of former President
Wilson. ="