South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-03-12
PACT OPPONENTS.
CENTER FIRE ON
SEN. UNDERWOOD.
Democratic Leader Carries
Burden Of Defense for
Treaty. Ratification.
QUOTES HUGHES LETTER
Secretary of State Assumes
Authorship of Draft of
FOur-POwer Treaty.

WASHINGTON. March 1.-THE
Turnover Pacific treaty, its pur-
poses and possibilities and the man
uar Of SOS negotiation, passed
through another spectacular combat
or argument ana Oratory today on
the R0or of .he senate.
Throughout the battle OF wits. the
burden Of defense wa1 carried by
SEN. Underwood of Alabama. the
Democratic floor leader and mem
Der of the American delegation TO
the arms conference. Hinged by
enemies OF the treaty, largely OF his
own party. the minority leader stood
for three hours in his place In the
center Of the chamber and replied
in kind 10 the thrusts directed at
him.
Among the weapons Of argument
used by the Alabama senator was
letter written 10 him by Sec'y
Hughes. head Of the American con-
ference plenip0tentiaries, replying
to- charges that the treaty results
from "a Briush-Japanese plan TO
auav the embarrassments OF the
Anglo-Japanese alliance. Mr.. Hughes
asserted that ne himself had pre-
pared a draft of the treaty after
consultation with the other delegates
and that. with minor changes. IL be
came the final text as signed and
submitted 20 the senate for ratiica-
ton.
The state department secretary
further declared there was not the
slightest mystery about the treaty
or basis of suspicion about IT, lie
described &c as ga straight forward
document which attains one Of the
most important objects the Ameri-
can government has had in view of
the high Importance TO the main
tenauce OF friendly relations in the
far east upon sounder basis
Rejection a Calamity
"Iu view of this and in view Of
the relation of this treaty TO the re-
Suits OF the conference concluded
lIr Hughes. "its failure would be
nothing short OF d national calam-
The arrumentative duel which
followed the reading by Sen. Under
wood ar the secretary's letter and
which iuterpoaed itself i'm the sen
ator's prepared address, was fought
for am hour between the speaker and
SEN. Robinson, democrat, Arkansas,
who orieiuaiy had raised the ques-
ton OF the origin of the treaty and
declared that the secretary's letter
had not dispeued evidences that the
four-power arrangement was in
splred from London and Toxic.
other democrats joined in the ques-
tioniug of their party leader. includ-
ing sens Reed of Missouri; Glass OF
Virginia. Walsh of Montana and
Watson of Georgia.
From the republican side of the
chamber their efforts were seconded
bv Sens. Borah of Idaho and France
Of Maryland
His support of the treaty, Sen.
Underwood said was actuated 10y
tho same spirit that prompted him
10 vote for the treaty of Versailles
with it's League of Nations. He de-
elared no alliance was contemplated.
but added that he could see no oh
lection even to- an alliance if it We're
based ON arbitration rather than
force and emaced dangers that
threaten American interests in the
Pacific. To reject the pact because
&c does not bind the siEnatOries to
employ force. me asserted. would be
to revert 90 The rsactiCuary Philos-
ouhy of the rast.
The democratic leader conceded
that the negotiations leading APP to
the treaty were carried ON lin Sc
Crecy" but argued shat such course
was necessary in view of the peculiar
circumstances surrounding the et-
fort of the American delegate 10 rid
the world Of the AuEIo-JaPanese al
lance. Iu the main. he said the
arms conference was conducted
more openly than any similar con-
rItetiou i'm the history of the world