SECRET PACTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1922, Page 5

SECRET PACTS.

MR. HUGHES HITS BACK. AT SENATE CRITICS. AN EMPHATIC DENIAL. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received March 22, 8.20 p.m. Washington, March 21. Mr. Hughes struck back sharply at the Senate critics o-f the Pacific Pact in a letter addressed to Senator Lodge, which the latter read to the Senate. Mr. Hughes said he had noticed that the latest charge made in the debate on the Four Power Treaty was that there was a secret agreement or understanding between the American Government and Britain respecting Pacific matters. “'Any such statement is absolutely false,” he said. “We have no secret understandings or agreements with Britain in relation to the Four Power Treaty or any other matter. Permit me to express the hope that the American delegates will be spared further aspersions upon their veracity and honor.” PRESIDENT HARDING’S REPUDIATION. z THE HEIGHT OF PERFIDY. Received March 22, 5.5 p.m. Washington, March 21. The White House emphatically denies that the United States entered into a secret understanding with any country. President Harding; believes it would have been the height of perfidy for the United States to invite Japan to Washington and then betray her confidence by making a secret agreement with England. STORY OF SECRET PACT. Washington, March 21. Mr. Cravath unequivocally denied the statements that Britain and i America had a secret agreement for naval co-operation, -attributed to him by Senator Borah. He said Senator Borah’s speech was pure romance. Despite the denials of Mr. Cravath and Sir Auckland Geddes in conniption with the Pacific Treaty, its opponents continue to profess to believe that secret agreements concerning the treaty exist. Senator Shields intends to move that the treaty he sent back to the Foreign ’Relations Committee with instructions to summon Messrs. Cravath, Root and Hughes, and question them concerning the treaty negotiations.