The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-09-11

| means Of proposed amendments to IT,
That Is the real program and hope
of the majority Of the committee on
| foreign relations. 1t Is for that pur-
pose that the treaty has been locked
up in cold storage for 80 many weeks.
| The enemies Of the League of Nations
in the senate are not many compared
to its friends, but they control the
committee. They have felt justified
in retaining the treaty in the commit
tee, holding useless hearings and max
ing killing amendments with the full
knowledge that amendments would
beat the treaty Just as effectively as
refusal to ratify.
"A few, very few, senators have
declared that they would vote against
| the treaty because Of the League OF
| Nations, but it has remained for the
senator from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Knox to declare boldly against our
participation in the treaty settlement.
ITO say that he has amazed the
country is to put it mildly-he has
shocked the country.
strangely enough after months OF
time and q number Of speeches In
which his attack on the treaty has
been on account Of article l. which
contains the League of Nations, he
now takes a new position. He for
merly favored taking the League OF
Nations out of the treaty and ratify-
ing the peace settlement with Ger
many. Now he suddenly changes
front, declares in favor Of DESERVING
the nations associated with us in the
war and advocates an unconditional
peace or negotiated peace with Ger
many.
"Was there ever a more insane in
ternatonal policy proposed? In the
mixture of poltrOonery and folly IT
Is difficult to see which predominates
Senator Knox goes the limit. He not
only proposes that we desert our
friends and abandon our obligations
but he suggests that we release Ger
many from all promises Of indemnittes
and reparations.
"Why not go further and propose that
we compensate Germany? That would
be n still stronger appeal to German
sentiment"
Senator Hitchcock said that he had
full faith that the treaty would re-
ceive different treatment in the SEN
ate than it has in the foreign reln-
tons committee. I'm the senate he
said, "there are few men who favor
deserving the cause OF civilization un-
til the victory In the field has been
rendered permanent by peace set
Element with ample guarantees. In
the senate are few senators who favor
releasing Germany from all RESPONSE
bilities Of the war; few senators Will
ing to sacrifice the material interests
of the United States which the treaty
alone can protect"
In concluding, what was without
doubt one of the ablest speeches that
has been made IN the senate for rati-
fication Of the treaty without amend
ment Senator Hitchcock said: i
cannot close without few words on
the League of Nations feature of the
treaty, which has been so persistent
ly and unreasonably attacked in the
chamber. To most Of these attacks
I have listened. They have varied
somewhat, but they all have one char
acteristic in common-a tremendous
exaggeration Of possible disadvan-
tages to this country.
"Those who conjure up these pos
sible disadvantages seem to ignore al
together the enormous advantages OF
organizing the world for peace. They
appear to have lost sight of the hor'
rors, evils and dangers Of war While
in the contemplation of possible dis
advantages under the League of Ma
lions. They make mountains out OF
mole hills in reviewing difficulties in
the league plan. They are suspicious
that while it may benefit every other
nation on earth, it is so devised as to
bring disaster to the United States.
They crawl upon the ground with
microscope searching for pitfalls and
are unable to look forward to the
promised land of peace and order and
Justice to which the new movement
leads