The Washington herald., 1922-02-17
4-POWER TREATY
DATA REQUESTED
OF PRESIDENT
Senate Adopts Resolution
After Explanation-No
Records Were Kept.

After an hours lively debate. the
Senate yesterday adopted the Hitch
cock resolution asking President
Harding to transmit to It all sug-
gested drafts of the four-power
treaty. together with copies OF all
committee conversations. discussions
and data concerning 1t.
Following this action. the Foreign
Relations Committee decided to lay
aside the four-power pact until Pros
ident Harding replied TO the resolu-
ton. The committee then turned its
attention to the naval treaty and the
submarine treaty, but took no action
on ether.
Senator Johnson. Of California. and
others expressed ''amazement" that
so important a treaty as the Pa
cific pact described as the keystone
Of all the treaties of the confer
ence. should have been framed with
out stenographic and documentary
notes. Senator johnson said that GO
ing through 800 pages Of arms con-
ference data he had been unable to
ind one word except the treaty it.
self, and the speech Of Senator Lodge,
to explain the drafting OF "the most
important treaty drafted In years"
Senator johnson said he wanted
every scrap OF information" he
could get concerning 1T.
Data Not In Existence.
IT offer no. objection to the adop-
| ton of the Hitchcock resolution"
said Senator Lodge. chairman of the
Foreign Relations Committee. whose
position was supported by the Demo
cratic leader, Mr.. Underwood, both
members Of the conference, but I
think 1t only fair to say the resolu-
tion asks for many things In the
way Of records. conversations and so
forth. that have no existence as writ
ten documents. But I do not oppose
asking for them"
81 hope the Senator is mistaken"
said Senator Hitchcock in reply. be
cause II would be an amazing thing
that this four-power treaty. which
Is recognized by President Harding
himself as the outstanding compact
In connection with the Pacific. and
up to now has occupied practically
all the time cf debate here. should
have been concluded without records,
minutes and memoranda similar to
those deemed necessary in the consid-
GRAFTON Of the less important pact re-
lating to China
I'VE have \ complete record re-
lating to the Chinese treaty and the
disarmament COMP act, but when i,
comes. to the Pacific treaty, which
Is really the center Of the whole
thing. 1t would be amazing to think
that similar records were not pre-
served. At least. this resolution
when sent to the President, would
develop the exact situation"
Unnecessary, keIiogg-s View.
Senator Kellogg. Of Minnesota. OBJ
served that IL the American deIega-
ton could not have had conversa-
lions with other delegates without
having a stenographer following
them around. they would not have
gotten anywhere nor been able to
consummate an agreement"
Senator Williams, Of Mississippi
moved reference Of the resolution to
the Foreign Relations Committee.
but Senator Hitchcock said 1t had
already been informally discussed
there and the chairman had no OBJ
lection to action in the Senate with
out reference
1T was undoubtedly the desire OF
the American delegation from the
beginning OF consideration Of the
naval disarmament matter, to secure
a cancellation of the English-Japan-
csc alliance" Senator Underwood said
1T developed the English-Japanese
alliance could not be cancelled with
out something being put in its place,