PACIFIC TREATY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1922, Page 5

PACIFIC TREATY.

SENSATIONAL STATEMENT. USED BY OPPOSITION. HEATED DEBATES. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received March 19, 11.30 p.m. Washington, March 18. A statement, which they attribute to Sir Auckland Geddes, that the Pacific Treaty averted an imminent war in the Pacific, is being used by the Opposition in its renewed attack upon the treaty. Senator Robinson declared that if Sir Auckland Geddes was correctly reported, the Senate should vote against not only the Pacific Treaty, but also the naval limitation. “If it be true,” he said, “that Japan was preparing to attack our Pacific possessions at the time the treaty was made, then, instead of disarming, we should call on America to arm. Under such circumstances it would be dajigerous to scrap battleships and bind ourselves not to defend. Guam and the Philippines.”

Heated debates followed Senator Robinson’a reference to Sir Auckland Geddes. The former demanded that Senators Underwood and Lodge should supply the information concerning the ambassador's alleged statement and asking if the American delegates knew that war was impending when they made the treaty, but neither Senator Lodge nor Senator Underwood answered. Senator Watson declared jthat Senator Lodge recently said the same thing. “He told us if we did not take the treaty war would follow.” Senator Lodge interrupted by stating that he referred to the preservation of the peace of the world. Senator Robinson suggested that if Mr. Hughes was called before the Foreign Relations Committee the Senate might know what secret agreements America’s allies have made. He was certain that an agreement between France and Japan existed. ATTACK BY A SENATOR. Received March 19, 5.5 p.m. Washington, March 18. Senator Johnson, denouncing the Pateific Treaty, declared he saw no advantage which the treaty would have over the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. People were thinking of limitation, not a combination of armaments. He added: “No ingenuity can discover any danger to us in the Anglo-Japanese Alliance: for the ■preservation of peace it is far superior to the treaty. It is amazing why Britain and Japan should abandon peace for Eastern Asia and India and transfer it to the Pacific Islands.”