River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-09-18
Leaders In Forty States, Regard
less OF Party, Sign Ring
ing Appeal.
TREATY WITHOUT AMENDMENT
Say Every Day of Delay Puts
World In Imminent Peril of
New War-Point to Ma.
tionaI Unrest.

view IOTR SpcCldI-IWO nunQre0
and fifty leading Americans, Republi-
cans and Democrats, representing 40
different states and every prominent
activity. have Joined In non-partisan
effort to bring about the ratification of
the peace treaty without amendment
and without delay" Their names are
attached to an address to the United
States Senate, which was made pub
lie through the League to Enforce
Peace, after 1t had been sent to every
member Of the Senate
The signers, almost without excep-
ton are men and women of national
reputation. They includewsuch prom
inent citizens as George w. Wicker
sham, attorney general in the last
Republican administration; A. Law
renee Lowell, president of Harvard;
Charles c. Moore. of San Francisco,
president Of the Panama Exposition:
Judge George Gray. of Wilmington,
Del; President Samuel Gompers, Of
the American Federation Of Labor:
Harry A. Wheeler, of Chicago, retiring
president of the Chamber Of Com
..
RE Chapman Gait, president OF the
National American Woman Suffrage
Association; Cyrus H. X. Curtis, the
Philadelphia publisher; President Heb
er j. Grant, Of the Mormon Church,
and John Spargo, leader Of the Social.
lists who supported the war
The stgners declare that every day
fho w.
the world In t4mminent peril of new
war"
Their statement follows:
In the Senate at Washington, now
that the President has spoken, the
lines are sharply drawn between the
immediate ratification Of the treaty Of
peace with Germany or it's amend
ment, with reopening Of negotiations
that would bring delay In settling the
great issues Of the peace. No partisan
plea can be made. Party lines are al
ready broken.
Standing at distance from the con-
hict in the Senate chamber, we plead
for immediate ratification without
amendment and without delay. Our
land requires II. A state Of nervous
strain, tension and unrest exists, man.
ffesting itself in disturbances which
in some cases have no self evident
connection with the war, but which
are In fact it's aftermath. The world
Is put In imminent peril of new wars
by the lapse of each. day. Dissen-
tons 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 postpon-
ing ratification in this uncertain per-
Tod OF neither peace nor war has re-
suited in indecision and doubt, bred
strife and quickened the cupidity Of
those who sell the daily necessities OF
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 an imme-
date ratification which will not keep
us longer in the shadows OF posi-
BILE wars, but give the whole world the
light of peace. Doubt may exist as to
whether reservations in the nature of
Qualifications in the meaning Of the
treaty not consistent with lbs terms
will or will not require the reopening
OF the negotiations with our associates
In the war, which we all and each
united to win.
But there is no possibility Of doubt
that the amendment of the treaty, as
is now publicly and openly proposed
In the Senate committee on foreign
relations. would require negotiation,
reopening all the questions decided at
Paris. Months Of delay would follow.
The perils OF the present would be-
come the deadly dangers of the near
future. All the doubt. the plots for
violent revolution in this and other
lands, the issues here and elsewhere
between capital and labor. the conspir-
acy OF speculator and profiteer, would
oil grow and become more perilous.
This cannot be. The American peo-
pie cannot. after a victorious war,
permit it's government to petition Ger
many, which has accepted the treaty,
for it's consent to changes In It. Yet,
II 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 $7o0.0o0,000. Our recent
foe could ask for reopening Of this
issue and Of the Lusitania claims. Il
could raise every question open be-
fore hostilities in regard to submar-
Inc warfare. and the treatment Of ito
nationals in this country. All the
provisions for our trade In Germany
raised by the economic clauses Of
the treaty. many Of them vital to our
industries and our farms, as In dye
patents. dye supplies and fertilizers.
the working OF the re1aration com.
nission, which superintends the
trade Of all with Germany SO as ia