The Washington times., 1922-03-10
HUGHES. IS.
|AC(;U Sc D.
|OEkEEP|NG.
|J.S.|NDARK.
Robinson Says Treaty Was
Thrust Upon Conferences.
News Writers Deceived.

Unjust upon conference.
News Writers Deceived.
Secretary Of State Hughes was
the storm center Of another
attack on the four-power Pacific
treaty by its Democratic oppo-
|nents in the Senate this afternoon,
Hughes was. accused by Sena-
tor Robinson (Dem.) Of Arkansas
of having deliberately concealed
from the American people and
from their spokssmen, the repre-
sentatives Of the press, the secret
negotiations leading up to the
making Of the treaty, Sg
~ TrusA sem Hidaen.
HoSfnsea- ,aansxsd = ..hash 1f1lu1nl
Of the STATE Department"sas hav.
ing stated that who wrote the
treaty docs not matter" and
charged that 'it must be plain TO
every one that It was the secretive
Secretary Of State, VINO was again
refusing to divulse the real truth
about the treaty"
Newspaper Men Deceived.
Il have been reliably informed thst
before the four-power treaty took u
all by surprise by being suddenly
thrust upon q plenary session Of the
arms conference, Mr.. Hughes told a
number of newspaper correspondents
who waited on him at the State De-
partment that he know nothing abort
any negotiations or any plan for such
q treaty or for such an alliance a.
the treaty provides" Robinson said.
1T IL inconceivable to me that Mr..
Hughes made any such statement,
senator Lodge replied. Certainly
the proposal for the four-power treaty
was discussed by the American DELI.
cation even before the conference
met. II was known to me and tc
my colleague. the Senator from Ala
balna. that such . treaty was con.
templated az q means Of doing away
with the Anslo-Japanese alliance"
Hughes for Alliance.
Ordinarily, who drafted q treaty
IL not material" said Robinson.
But when the question arises a.
to who IL vitality interested In the
terms Of the instrument and
whether all parties TO the instru-
ment were fully informed ~ to its
real meaning and effect, then the
conditions under which II was ne.
gotiated become Of extreme impor.
tance,"
Robinson also declared that
neither President Harding nor SEQ
retary Hughes thought Of an ALI.
ance" when the conference was first
called.
"It was not in the mind Of Presi-
dent Harding and II was not IN the
mind Of Secretary Hughes when the
conference WAS called that an Alf-
ance between Great Britain. Japan.
France and the United States would
be contaminated" ne said.
Senator Watson DemJ OF Georgia
interrupted with a reference TO the
knighting Of Sir Arthur, James Bal
four upon his return to England
from the conference.
King Rewards Ralfeur.
''Balfour was elevated to Knight
of the Garter. the highest award in
the power of the British King, for
his efforts In obtaining this al
lance" said Watson.
Robinson again referred to the
who wrote the treaty" question.
Secretary Hughes says II is no
body's business who wrote the
treaty" Robinson asserted. II re-
call that hughes publicly denied
even during the early days of the
conference that any such four
power treaty was being consid-
cred"
II talked over the proposal Of q
four-power. treaty with the Secre-
tary OF State and with my Sera-
toriai colleague Underwood). be-
fore the conference ever opened"
Lodge interposed.
"ft was an outrage then that the
head of the American delegation
should have told the newspap apermen.
the Representative OF the Ameri-
can people. that nossuch treaty was
under consideration when he knew
that II was" said Robinson heat
edly.
1T was absolutely impossible to
learn authoritstively during the
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