Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-22
THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 20, 1919
PEACE BY PIECEMEAL

One report sent out from Paris is to the effect that
an agreement has been reached whereby upon the sigma
ture of the peace treaty by any three of the Allied ana
associated nations, the treaty becomes effective as applied
to those particular nations. remaining imperative Oh
course as to other nations until the other nations sign.
Some indignation has been expressed by certain OF our
senators that such conditions should have been made. 1t
is pointed out for instance, that Great Britain, france
and Italy could sign the treaty after its acceptance oS
the Germans; that the treaty would thereupon become
operative as to those three nations; that diplomatic and
commercial relations would Immediately be estaoi1sheo
between Germany and each of the three signing po"ers'
that each of these powers would at once begin u ehJoS
the benefits from the resumption Of such intercourse
and that the United States would be deprived of that
benefit because her relations with Germany could not be
re-established until the ratification of the treaty IN
proper form by the United States.
There is an element of humor in the manner in
which this objection is raised in that it does not appear
to have occurred to any of the DIRECTORS that the United
States might easily be one of the three nations first 10
accept the treaty and might therefore gain entrances on
the ground floor, as it were, to all the benefits and ad-
vantages to be gained by a resumption OF intercourse
with Germany. 1t seems to be assumed that the United
States must necessarily be the last, or among the last
to sign the treaty of peace. The reason for this assump-
ton is not apparent, but it is evidently because of it
that the indignant protests are being made.
AS a matter of fact and of strict Interpretation, the
United States has nothing to say about when or now
other nations shall conclude peace with Germany. Tnose
who have fought persistently for what they have held to
be the Washingtonian doctrine of on-partlclpatlon IN
foreign affairs, and Of total avoidance of entangling al
liances with foreign nations, have had their will to the
extent that the United States has not entered into any
alliance with foreign power in relation to the war with
Germany. War alliances existed. Great Britain, France
and Italy are parties to one. Because of their alliance
and the alliance of other nations with them, the COM
bined forces of those nations have been known as the
forces of the Allies" The United States has often been
termed loosely one of the Allies, but where exactness was
desired that term has. not been used with reference to
the United States. In our official correspondence and in
the official correspondence of other nations reference is
often made to the ALLIED and associated" nations or gov
ernments, the word Associated being used to describe
the United States. This country engaged in the war on
it's own hook. 1t co-operated with other nations, but ii
entered into no treaty with them as to the conduct OF
the war or the contamination of peace. We entered the
war when we pleased. We were at liberty to leave it
when we saw fit. We could, at any time since our share
of the war began, have made a treaty of peace with Ger
many without reference to any other power. No one
Of the Allied nations could do that because they we're
bound together by a compact to which they had all sub
scribed. They were at liberty to dissolve that compact
at their pleasure. That would bring the situation then
to one In which each nation was acting In Strlct lnoe'
pendence. Each nation would be at liberty to make
its own terms of peace in its own time. The reported
agreement is restrictive rather than otherwise because
its meaning is that the peace treaty shall not be effective
as to any nation until at least three nations have signed it.
1t is. not likely that in any other country there will
be needless delay in finishing up the work Of concluding
peace. There should be no unnecessary delay in the
United States and most assuredly there should be no de-
lay for partisan or factonal purposes.