Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1922-03-14
First Test
on Treaty
Today
Senate Agrees 10 Vote on
Amendment TO l'our,PoMcr
Pacific Pact at 4 This
Afternoon.
Opponents Renew Fight
~ Tho Associated rr....


Washington, March lj.-Oppon.
en,s OF the iour-power Pacific treaty
loosed another series OF broadsidss
against the pact in the senate. but
slaekened their onslaught, Just he.
fore adjournment 20 accept unani.
nous consent agreement for a vol,
tomorrow on the first OF the pro.
posed amendments.
Senators Johnson, California, and
Borah OF Idaho. both republicans.
took the lead in an all-dsy attack.
the former declaring ratification OF
the treaty would be national "sur.
render under threat bt danger
from the Anelo-lspanese alliance
and the latter asserting that the pro.
posed four power arrangement
would transfer 10 the Pacific the old
balance OF power system that has
dominated Europe for centuries,
A question as TO tho authorship oil
the treaty and its supplemental
agreements again was raised during
the debate. Mr.. Borah asserting ths,
despite Secretary Hughes letter ae-
cepting responsibility for the final
draft, there seemed TO be "thc most
conclusive proof that somebody else
wrote the treaty"
Outline OF Amendment
The amendment on which II WAS
agreed 10 vote at tomorrow was
proposed by Senator Robinson,
democrat. Arkansas. and will be tile
first issue OF tie four-powcr treaty
fight 10 como 10 roll call. AS
modified today by Mr.. Robinson, II
provides that the rights OF nations,
both in and out OF the four-power
group. arc 10 be respected. and that
nonsignator. as we'll as signatory ma
tions, Shall be invited 10 any confer
cnce held TO consider controversies
affecting their insular interests in the
Pacific, "or any far eastern qucs-
tons
Administration leaders declared to-
night they had sufficient votes 10 de-
feat the amendment Senator Rob
inson made a short speech favoring
its adoption, in the interest. he said,
of fair play for Russia. and Senator
Lenroot. republican, Wisconsin, ar
gued against it on the ground that
il would impose blanket obligations
going even beyond the league ot
nations covenant.
Johnson Launches Attack.
Senator Johnson's address OF more
than two hours was directed largely
against the declaration OF the trcaty's
supporters that its chief benefit lay
in the provision 'abrogating tie
Anglo Japanese alliance. If solemn
assurances of Great Britain and "a
pan regarding the purposes OF the
alliance were TO be credited, be
said. then it contained no menace
to the United States, while II these
assurances were to be regarded as
false. then this government should
not go into any partnership with ma
tions which had practiced the decep-
ton.
The Horsepower arrangement, sad
Senator Johnson. woud amount to an
ALLIANCE" and would impose obliea-
tions not dissimilar from those OF the
league covenant. The chief differ
cnce between the new treaty and the
league, he declared, seemed to be that
it bore a republican instead OF dem
ocratic label.
Senator Borah, in turn, likened the
treaty to the triple entente OF Eu-
rope, which he said did not bind
Great Britain and Russia to go to the
aid of France in 1914. but neverthe-
less resulted in concerted action by
all the entente powers, The Jour
power treaty might not impose any
legal obligation on congress to de-
clare war, he asserted, but it provid
cd for conference which might cas-
lily result in moral obligation which
congress could not escape.