Washington, Jan. 20.
In the Senate today, during the debate on the resolution presented by Senator Walsh requesting President Harding to supply information regarding the Shantung controversy, Senator Underwood explained that the matter must be settled by the Chinese and Japanese delegates. The Conference could not take up the question because seven of the Powers at the Conference were committed by the Treaty of Versailles to the support of Japan. He believed that a settlement was very near.
Senator Lodge endorsed Senator Underwood's views. Both admitted that the Shantung question had prolonged the Conference.
Senator Walsh, supporting the resolution, expressed the opinion that the Senate might hesitate to accept the Quadruple Agreement if the Shantung problem were not solved.
Senator Lodge hoped that the resolution would not be pressed, at least until the Conference adjourned.
Senator Underwood said that any attempt to force a. settlement would throw a monkey-wrench "into the machinery of the Conference.—Reuter's Special Service.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.