The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-14
TREATY OPPONENTS LOOSEN BROADSIDE;; VOTE COMES TODAY
Johnson and Borah Take Lead
 n AIl-Day Onslaught .Sp Against Four-PoWer Pact
Ky Associated Press

" dSulnS ton, MdICn 1o.-OppO- nents of the four-power Pacific treaty loosed a series of broadsides against the pact today in the Senate, but slackened their onslaught just before adjournment to accept a unan- imous consent agreement for vote tomorrow on the conference agree ments.
 Senators Johnson of California and Borah of Idaho, both republicans, took the lead in the all-day attack the former declaring ratification of the treaty would be a national sur render" under threat of danger from the Anglo-Japanese alliance and the latter asserting that the pro posed four-power arrangement would transfer to the Pacific the old balance of power system that has dominated Europe for centuries.
 A question as to the authorship of the treaty and it's supplemental agreements again was raised dur ing the debate, MT. Borah asserting that despite Secretary Hughes let ter accepting responsibility for the final draft, there seemed to be "the , most conclusive proof that somebody else wrote the treaty.
 Amendment RobinsOn's
 The amendment on which it was agreed to vote at p. m. tomorrow was proposed by Senator Robinson democrat, Arkansas, and will be the first issue of the four power treaty fight to come to a roll call. As mod flied today by MT. Robinson 1t pro- vides that the rights of nations both in and out of the four power group are to be respected and that nonsis- natory as well as signatory nations shall be invited to any conference held to consider questions affecting their interests.
 Administration leaders declared to- night they had sufficient votes 10 defeat the amendment which has been touched on very little in debate during the several days that it has been technically before the Senate. Senator Robinson made short speech today favoring it's adoption In the interest, he said, of fair play for Russia, China and other nonsignatory nations, and Senator Lenreot, repub- lican, Wisconsin, argued against 1t on the ground that it would be inn possible that the blanket obligations going even beyond the League of Nations covenant.
 Attacks Alliance Contention Senator Johnson's address of more than two hours was directed largely against the declaration of the treaty's supporters that it's chief benefit lay in the provision abrogating the anglo-Japanese alliance. If solemn assurance of Great Britain and Japan regarding tho purpose of the alliance were to be credited he said then 1t contained no meance to the United States, while if these assur- ances were to be regarded as false, then this government should not go into partnership with nations which had practiced the deceptions.
 The four-power arrangement, said Senator Johnson, would amount to all alliance and would impose obliga- tions not dissimilar from those of the league covenant. The chief differ ence between the new treaty and the league, he declared. seemed to be that it bore a republican instead of democratic label.
 Likened to European Alliance
 Senator Borah, in turn, likened the treaty to the triple entente of Europe, which he said did not bind Great Britain and Russia to go to the aid of France in 1914, but never theless resulted in concerted action by all the entente powers. The four power treaty might not impose any legal obligation on Congress to de- clare war, he asserted, but it pro- vided for conference which might easily result in a moral obligation which Congress could not escape.
 The treaty, Senator Borah pointed out. did not limit the means" to be considered jointly by the four powers but left the door open for the con ference to decide on concerted armed action. He predicted that formation of the four-power group would lead to the establishment of counter group" and eventually to a war be- tween the two rival combinations thus placed in the field.
 Republicans AssaiIed
 Just before the Senate accepted the unanimous consent agreement which was proposed by Senator swanson, democrat, Virginia, Sena- tor Reed. democrat. Missouri. as- sailed republicans who formerly had opposed the Versailles treaty hut now support the four power treaty, medicine handed us in a spoon held by republican president" although they had refused 1t when it came from a democratic president
 In the main. the treaty supporters made little effort to reply to the series of attacks. Senator Lenroot took exception to the moral obli- gation" argument of Senator Borah, however, declaring that no binding commitment would exist and Sena- tor Lodge, of Massachusetts, the re- publican leader and member of the arms delegation, engaged In a sharp exchange with Senators Johnson and Borah over authorship of the treaty and the circumstances which led to