Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-14


June as the opening date. They slammed
eight years of democratic administration all
over the lot, pronounced for law and order
Americanism, lower taxes. vigorous policy
toward Mexico and and so forth. They
studiously avoided mention of the treaty of
peace and the league of nations in either open
or. executive sessions And taking large and
moist blanket they wrapped the score or so of
current presidential boomlets therein, appar
emily determined that for the first time in
thirty-four years the republican convention
shall be open and the fight upon the floor in
Chicago bona fide Suggest instead of a framed
affair. And then they shook hands all around
once more, slapped each other on the back
again. and trooped out.
Oh, it some ambitious and pepful trum
petng the horn with which it is most ia
mliar that the old G. o. p. elephant INDUCED
in. 1t solo and a symphony combined
But on January 8. 1920 there's donkey
ing to town, donkey determined prove that
the music of mere pachyderm is as whisper
compared to the song of a long-eared equine
quadruped And then the duet with the nation
audience.
The peace treaty. than which no subject is
more prominently in the public mind these
days, continues to lie untouched that myth
cal table of the upper house of Congress Presi-
dent Wilson, claiming that the responsibility
has been shifted to other shoulders, expresses
a willingness to have it lie there while" The
and indicates that the next move is up to the
President. And while Europe retches in the
sickness of uncertainty. and the baneful effects
of delay work untrammeled in America, political
hands rubbed in the faulty confidence that
good job has been done in the old old game
of passing the buck.
The time is not for playing politics,
and even if it were, the political aeumen of both
republicans and democrats sadly at fault
The public wants the peace treaty disposed Of.
re fpa1 no
that destiny decided. They conscious of the
dangers of delay already too far prolonged
Whatever political prestige is to be drawn from
the existing deadlock will to that party
which can in the next campaign say truly
the nation: I'VE took the treaty from where
it lay insisted that it be disposed of, and ar
ranged the compromise that brought you the.
established peace you enjoy at present.
The treaty must be settled If the present
document is to be accepted under any condi-
tons, the necessary compromise must be eff
fected and the ratified document forwarded to
Paris. If it is to be rejected rejection must be
promptly effected that the business of ending
our individual state of with Germany may
be promptly and vigorously pushed. The game
of battledore and shuttlecock, so hoty con-
tested between the two major parties during the
past week in connection with treaty RESPONSE
bilty, should be abandoned There is but one
responsibility incident to the treaty in which
the public is interested. and that is the joint
responsibility of their servants, the executive
and administrative branches of government to
serve their will and place this nation on peace
basis in double-quick time
Open your eyes, gentlemen.
Certain changes have been made in the terms
of the peace protocol over which Noske raised
such howl early in the week. At the request
of the United States the allies consented to a
modification in the provision for indemnity for
10 dacf nNfi 0f tha 2nat
Flow, and the omission of the final PARAGRAPH
which provided that, even after the peace has
gone into effect. the allies might military
measures of coercion to insure the execution
of the treaty terms. Certain other less impor-
tant notifications were granted. The
promise recognized necessary to save Eu-
rope facing the crisis of hard winter without
definite peace and accomplished without sacri-
fcing any basic essentials in the protocol
should carry it's lesson to Capitol Hill and the
Executive Mansion.
On Tuesday the English pound sterling had
dropped from prewar level of $4s7 to $780,
the French franc from SIS for dollar to II,
and the Italian lire from parity with francs
before the to Is for dollar German
marks sold for y cents against a prewar
status of % cents. If this condition of affairs
does not impress upon the United States the
critical plight of economic and Industrial in
terests in Europe plight which may event.
ually render Europe financially nsolvent,
able to meet her nine billions of debts to the
United States, unable financially to assimilate
our tremendous supply of exports, unable to
struggle up and out of the chaotic post bellum
condition in which she finds hersef--what will?
And, with that fact borne home it be-
come apparent that from ample selfish as well
as from all altruistic standpoints America
must continue to play her part in the destinies
of Europe and of the world.
X X
Following the release at the close of last
week of American Consular Agent Jenkins by