Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-19
Senator from Pennsylvania
Would Also Pass Action on
Freedom of the Seas Until
After Peace Signed.
SAYS CONFERENCE
NOT BODY TO ACT
Suggested that Time Follow
ing Great War May Not Be
Proper Time to Try Out New
and Unknown System.

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASE, VRE1
Washington, d. c., Dec. 1S.-De-
claring that the widest diversity of
opinion exists regarding formation of
league of nations and on the defina-
ton of freedom of the seas, Senator
Knox of Pennsylvania, formerly sec
retary of state in an address to the
senate today urged postponement of
these questions until after the peace
conference.
Just before Senator Knox spoke the
foreign relations committee had de-
cided to delay action until Saturday
on his resolution which would record
the senate in favor of such postpone
ment,. and also call for the withdraw
al of American military and naval
forces from Europe and abrogation
of the presidents extraordinary war
powers.
Chairman Hitchcock said later that
division of opinion in the committee
on the resolution was not confined to
party lines. He would not predict
what action finally might be taken.
The function Of the peace confer
ence, Senator Knox declared, is to
settle issues with the enemy Revis-
ion of the marine laws and a league
tween the allies themselves" and neu-
trails should not be complicated with
Simple demands" of the peace treaty
Instead OF league of nations, Sem
ator Knox suggested definite en-
tente, provided it be a small and nat
ural one, bringing only limited and
appropriate obligations"
Z. S. Can Use Influence.
"FVpr without an entente. - the
senator said, "the United States can,
without 'entanglement place in ad-
vance at the service of the worlds
peace, IL seriously threatened, the
whole of its influence and potential
power This can be done by declar-
alton that menace to the liberty of
Europe is a menace to America and
that America will consult her friends
and prepare for action if ever such
menace should arise again.
Concerning the league of nations,
Senator Knox disclaimed condemning
the league plan in advance and said
the object of his resolution was to
postpone the question for separate
consideration
'If a league of nations may not be
a good thing, certainly the agitated
days following a great war should not
be seized upon to saddle the country
with a policy it has not eXapine9 and
which is not necessary part of the
making of peace.
Il for one, am entirely ignorant of
what the president means by league
of nations. The American people do
not know"
A league based upon populations.
he said would give less advanced ma
al 1g
more advanced nations.
Il think the american people be-
leve in Americanism," he declared,
- do not for one moment believe they
would he willing to see this country
ordered about by a Heterogeneous
world league of all nations"
Reparation Mere Arithmetic.
Preparation is a matter of arith-
metic and of law and of equitable JUS
tice," Senator Knox declared, in con-
sidering peace terms. "In other as
poets it also extends into the concep
tion of practical guarantees for the
future. 1t is not improper to consid-
er whether the imposition of excess
lively onerous money payments might
not have the effect of either desper-
alton favorable to anarchy or else a
necessity to allow Germany great for
eign trade facilities (if indeed, she
can find customers for her goods,) in
order that she might produce the
wealth required for vast indemnities.
''The latter alternative might in the
long run have the result of forcing
economic aggradizement upon a peo-
pie who, we have seen, cannot now
he safely intrusted with great power
in the world 1t occurs to me that
to demand the cancellation of the
German Internal bonded war debt and
the ALLEGATION of that sum to the
funds for the indemnities of restora-
ton, etc, might possibly be consid-
cred.
"As to guarantees the condition of
relative Importance to which Ger
many has been reduced by the terms
of the armistice, is, of course, the first
of our real guarantees. The mainten-
ance of that condition during a long
period is the first of real guarantees
against the recrudescence of any sim
liar German menace.
GAS part of this guarantee it SEEM
Continued on Page Two.)