The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-07-11
HUNS RATIF'N TREATY.

Among all the governments appearing i'll the peace treaty the German is the first to rati- ly it. Wednesday the German assembly at Weimar voted by large majority approving its acceptance and yesterday President Ebert signed the bill of ratification
 All the world recognizes the fact that this ratification was done becausc Germany had no other course to pursue To have re- fused would have been suicide It would have meant that the allied nations would have pro- ceeded to enforce such terms as they consd- cred necessary to punish Germany's crimes and insure a nOn-rcpetition of them in the fu- ture
 There is no doubt that Germany will car " out just such terms as she is forced to do, Ii the time comes when she believes that she can escape any or all of them she will not hesitate to do SO. Appearing at the peace con- ference, not as an honorable opponent losing in honor, but as a reluctant criminal coming to hear the sentence pronounced, Germany signed protesting against the severity ot her punishment.
 There is apparently no reason to doubt that France, England, Italy, Japan and other minor nations will ratfy the treaty. All of them gain to some extent by the terms and all are relieved of the nightmare threat of war thru the provisions of the league of Nations covenant
 In America alone is there any indications of a refusal to ratfy. Senatorial opposition to the League of Nations may cause the down. fall of the entire system. As Mir. Wilson pointed out in his speech to the senate veSter- day, the League is a part of the treaty. In fact 1t is the spirit which gives this document life The treaty is built upon its existence. As European problems were studied by the conference said Mir. Wilson, 1t became appar- ent to all the delegates that the League was necessary for the establishment of a new world order which would free all nations from wars, and the greatest minds of Europe turn ed with one accord to the eague of Nations. The natural result is seen in the cohesion of the League covenant and the treaty terms.
 The republican publicity committee in literature it has mailed broadcast recently re- Gerred to the League as an 'old maids tea party" It characterized 1t as without means of being etcc!lve. In this 1t was wrong. The teeth of the League, the force by which 1t can enforce the fulhment of the terms signed by Germany, are provided for in the special agreement proposed between France, England and the United States by which the two lat ter governments agree to come to the aid of France in case of unprovoked aggression by Germany.
 It is probable that the republican opposi- tion will center their fight on this special agreement. It will be denounced as an Zen tangling alliance" and the President will be accused of meddIing in European politics.
 The logic of the Presidents stand is clear He recognizes that a world system IS necessary to prevent another disastrous Euro pean war, possibly within the present genera tion. The change is provided for in the League of Nations which,, in order to be et- fective, must have some tangible force. And that is furnished by the proposed special al- liance of England, France and America It is an alliance to secure peace and not to make war. MT. Wilson beves that if the American people are willing to associate themselves with European nations in making war they will not be less willing to ally themselves with the same nations for the purpose of seeing that peace is maintained
 THE EARNING CAMPAIGN.