The Alaska daily empire., 1918-12-30
What Has Knox to Suggest?
Seattle Times.)

The demand of Senator Knox, one of the ablest men in Congress and former Secretary of State, that the organization of league of nations and for nal definition of freedom of the seas be deferred until after peace conference raises lively doubt whether the brilliant Pennsylvanian really desires such a league to be formed.
 not blinded by prejudice that the league plan will go through will be realized.
 The European slate has been wiped partially clean by the rough hand of Nations have collapsed and others have arisen in their stead. The revul- sion from wars losses and horrors has developed worldwide demand for international machinery designed to prevent the inhction upon mankind of another such horror as that through which 1t has recently passed.
 suffering has been partially dulled by passage Of time, when political forces not actively identl- fled with the conduct of the struggle have assumed the reins of power, when local issues again become of paramount importance in all countries-in that hour, what chance will there be of getting such a union among all nations will render pos sible the formation of peace league?
 The iron is hot.
 Now is the time to strike!
 Delay even for a twelvemonth might defeat the end for which MT. Wilson and leading men in all Allied countries striving.
 Is that what MT. Knox desires?
 If so what has he to offer in place of the Will son-Taft plan?
 One thing is certain. Either the nations will get together to serve their mutual interests by main- taining peace or the world will witness new arm ament race, extensive, more costly and uti- mately leading to more destructive even than
  der
 The world will not go back to the state of affairs obtaining in 1914 in 1917. America will not go back the state of defenselessness land and comparative defenseessness which obtained a year
 Either this country will demobilize because of it's faith and dependence in peace league it will embark naval construction program designed to make it the rival of any other sea power in the world. and will back its fleets with mightier armies than it ever previously has maintained
 There is middle ground between these two ex tremes There be none!
 If national security be assured by a peace league, America will be content to maintain mini mum of military forces if national security cannot no combination of powers to be much stronger than the United States that the safety of American shores trade and foreign interests will be endangered
 The line of thought may be applied to ditions confronting England, France Japan, Italy and possibly, in due time, Germany we'll
 The instinct of national self preservation will operate to incte all the leading powers of earth to build up their military strength. We shall have arma- race, has been stated previously surpassing anything of which the world previously has known and America inevitably will be of the leaders in that because of it's wealth and position in world affairs
 That the American people desire this is not to be conceded, for moment.
 They did not aid in conquerng Prussia in order that they and all the rest of the world might become Prussianized.
 They do not care what means are taken to avert such result, and if Knox has something better to offer than the league of nations ideas, he will win their instant attention.
 Otherwise, they will look with sympathy on the Presidents efforts, parsanship to the contrary not withstanding