Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1919-11-13

LEADERS IN FORTY STATES RE.
CARELESS OF PARTY. SIGN
RINGING APPEAL.
TREATY WITHOUT AMENDMENT
Say Every Day of Delay Puts World
in Imminent Peril of New War.
-
Point to National Unrest.

New York (SpeciaD Two hundred
and fifty leading Americans. Repub,
hcans and Democrats representing for.
ty different states and every promi,
nent activity have joined in a non
partisan effort to bring about the rat
ifcation of the Peace Treaty without
amendment and without delay" Their
names are attached to an address TIC
the United States senate, which was
made public today, thru the League
20 Enforce Peace, after it had been
sent to every member of the senate.
The signerS, almost without excep.
ton, are men and women of national
reputation. They include such promi.
aent citizens as ex-President Taft,
George W. Wickersham, Attorney
General in the last Republican admin
stration; A. Lawrence Lowell, presi.
lent of Harvard; Charles c. Moore
of San Francisco, president of the
Panama Exposition; Judge George
Samuel Gompers of the American Fed,
Grafton of Labor. Harry A Wheeler of
chicago, retiring president of the
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States; Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait,
president of the National American
Woman Suffrage Association Cyrus
4. K. Curtis, the Philadelphia pub
Usher; President Heber j. Grant, of
he Mormon church, and Spargo, lead
er of the Socialists who supported the
war.
The signers declare that every day
Of delay in ratifying the treaty puts
The world in Imminent peril of new
war;
Their statement follows:
In the senate at Washington, now
that the committee on foreign rela.
lions has reported the treaty, the lines
are sharply drawn between the imme-
iiate ratification of the treaty Of
peace with Germany, and it's amend,
nent with a reassembling of the con.
ference and reopening of negotia-
ions that would bring great delay
and prolonged uncertainty in settling
the great issues of the peace. No
partisan plea can be made. Party
lines are already broken.
Standing at a distance from the
conflict in the senate chamber, we
plead for immediate ratification with.
out delay. Our land requires it. A
state of nervous strain, tension and
unrest exists manifesting itself in dis
turbances, which in some cases have
nc selfevident connection with the
war, but which are, in fact, it's after
math. The world is put in imminent
peril Of new wars by the lapse of each
day. Discussions between us and our
former allies are being sown. We
firmly believe and solemnly declare
that the states and cities in which we
dwell desire immediate peace.
The waging of war steadied and
united the American people. Peace
will bring prosperity, and prosperity
content. Delay in the senate post.
poning ratification in this uncertain
period of neither peace nor war has
resulted in indecision and doubt, bred
strife and Quickened the cupidity OF
those who sell the daily necessities oil
life and the fears of those whose daily
wage no longer fills the daily market
basket.
We beseech the senate to give the
land peace and certainty by a ratifca
ton which will not keep us longer in
the shadows of possible wars, but
give the whole world the light OF
peace Reservations in the nature OF
Qualifications in the meaning of the
treaty not inconsistent with its
terms, will not require the reopenine
of the negotiations with Germany and
with our associates in the war, which
we all and each united to win.
But there is no possibility of doubt
that amendment of the treaty, as is
now proposed in the Senate Commit
tee on Foreign Relations, would re.
quire negotiation and reOpening of
all the questions decided at Paris
Months of delay would follow. The
pCIuS VI Tie plCSCAt WOulu D0COulG
the deadly dangers of the near future
All the doubt engendered would aid
the plots for violent revolution in this
and other lands. The issues here and
elsewhere between capital and labor
the conspiracy of Spectator and prof,
iteer, would all grow and become more
perilous.
This cannot be. The American PEG,
pie cannot, after q victorious war
permit it's government to petition Ger
many, which has accepted the treaty
for its consent to changes in the
treaty Yet If the United States
should amend the treaty for it's own
purpose and policy, Germany would
have full right to ask for concessions
Germany has agreed to make no claim
in regard to enemy property seized in
this country to an amount of seven
hundred million dollars. Our recent
foe could ask for reopening of this
issue and of the Lusitania claims. II
could raise every question open be
fore hostilities in regard to subma
rine warfare and the treatment of its
nationals In this country. All the
provisions for our trade in Germany
Rafsed nv the economic clauses aY the