Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-03-11
UNDERWOOD
SAYS PACT
HOLDS KEY

CONTINUED From Page One)
ly was necessary" before the naval
treaty was signed or could be made eff
fective. He stated the other powers
which signed the Pacific pact yielded
to the request Of Japan" that the Japa
nese homeland be taken out Of it.
SAY AMENDMENTS
INSURE PEACE.
"Thus amended, the four power pact
| provides for peace in the Pacific, guar
/ anteed by mutual pledges OF all the sig
natory powers to respect the integrity
Of the territory Of each and In case Of
. differences between them to confer" In
| derwoOd said.
"There is nothing IN the treaty to
Justify either Of the interpretations given
by It's critics, that Il provides for an
offensive or defensive alliance, or II 1t
does not, that It means nothing. The
real issue involved is that of peace in
the Orient, the issue Of safety to our
country"
The text Of Hughes letter follows:
My Dear Senator: / understand that
in the course Of debate IL the Senate
upon the four power treaty questions
have been raised with respect to its au-
thOrship. II seems to be implied that
in some way the American delegates
have been imposed upon, or that they
We're induced to accept some plan cum
ningly contrived by others and opposed
to our interests Apart from the rehec-
ton upon the competency Of the Ameri-
can delegates, such intlmations betray
very poor and erroneous conception OF
the work In connection with the confer
ence, no part OF which-whether within
or outside the conference meetings-was
begun, prosecuted or concluded In In
trigue. Nothing could be farther from
the fact.
at Is, Of course wholly inconsistent
with the amenities OF international inter
course that the informal and conhden-
tiaj suggestions and conversations Incl
dent to negotiations should be stated,
but the Senate may be assured that
/ full disclosure OF everything said or done
I In the course Of the negotiations would
reveal nothing derogatory to the part
/ taken by any OF the American delegates
! or involve any consideration or accept
apce Of any position not entirely con-
/ 81 emf with the traditional policies or
/ til Government"
1t should be remembered the four
| power treaty dealt with subJect-the
/ AnglO-Japanese alliance-which, as an
! agreement between the powers competent
to make and continue 1t. was not, and In
/ the nature Of things could not be, APP
propnately placed on the asenda, Tech
ulcally. It was matter outside the con-
!
nlshed an excellent opportunity for con-
varsations regarding 1t.
/ SAYS NEGOTIATIONS
I WERE FAIR ENOUGH.
while I cannot, OF course, undertake
I to state what was proposed or suggested
( in conference by any Of the delegates. i
! think il entirely proper to say the ne
gotlations relating to the four-power
/ treaty were conducted within limitations
/ defined by the American government
| The views Of this Government as to the
/ importance Of the termination of the An
I glO-Japanese alliance had been communi-
Gated long before the conference met,
and It had also been clearly stated this
Government could enter Into an ALI
/ ance or make no commitment to the use
( of arms which, or would impose airy sort
/ of Obligation as to its decisions in fu-
ture contingencies. II must deal with
any exigency according to Its consttu-
tional methods. In preparation for the
conference, the American delegates re-
! viewed the matter thoroughly and the
entire course of the negotiations In con
nectiOn with the four power treaty were
| in accord with these principles, and, as l
have said, within the limits which we
The treaty itself is very short and
simple and is perfectly clear, 1t re-
quires no commentary. Its engagements
are easily understood and no ingenuity
in argument or hostile criticism can add
to them or make them other or greater
than its unequivocal language sets forth.
4 > NANNNS
ings
AUTHORSHIP HELD
UNIMP
! "In view of this the question OF au-
thorship is unlmportant 1t was signed
by four powers. whose delegates re-
| spectively adopted 1t. all having made va
rious suggestions.
Il may say, however. with respect to
the general course Of negotiations that.
after assent had been given by Great
Britain and Japan, that France should
be party to the agreement, I prepared
a draft Of The treaty based upon the va
rious suggestions which had been ex-
changed between the delegates This
draft was submitted to Senator Lodge
and Mr.. Root, as you were then absent
on account of the death of your mother.
After the approval Of the American dele
gates who were here the draft was sub
mitted to the representatives of other
powers and became the subject of dis
cussiOn between the heads of the delega-
lions concerned and with a few changes
which were approved by the American
delegates and which did not affect the
spirit or substance of the proposed treaty,
an agreement was reached. Immediately
upon your return l went over the
whole matter wit hyou and the proposed