Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-09-03

IallS; SayS Treaty Means
Big Benefits For All, Allied
Nations.
Washington, Sept. 3.-Declaring
the real purpose of the foreign rela-
tions committee majority in amending
the peace treaty was to kill the treaty
entirely and that such course would
be suicidal to the United States, SEN
ator Hitchcock Of Nebraska, Demo-
cratic leader, asserted in a speech
today. that the majority of the sena-
tors never would accept any of the
committee changes.
The treaty opponents. he said,
crawl on the ground with a. micro
scope searching for pitfalls" in the
League of Nations and overlook sub
would bring. The proposal Of sena-
tor Knox, Republican, Pennsylvania,
that the treaty be rejected and sep
arate peace made with Germany was
characterized by the speaker as an
insane mixture Of poltroonery and
folly"
=. BY vote of nine to eight said
Senator Hitchcock, "the committee
on foreign relations is to bring square
" before the senate the question OF
defeating the pending treaty. Sup
pose the senate should vote in favor
Of the Shantung amendment or any
other, what would happen?
Either the president would refuse
to go further with the treaty or he
would submit the amendment to the
nations associated with the United
States. Does any one believe they
would accept it?
Not Possible.
Il cannot conceive of any Intelligent
and candid man who would assume
such thing as possibility. Then
where would the United States find
itself in this international settlement?
We would find ourselves out in the
cold, isolated from the rest of the
world. The work of ratifying the
treaty would proceed without u.s.
The treaty itself provides that
when three nations in addition to
Germany have signed. it shall 30 into
effect. 1t is easy to see the enormous
benefits which Great Britain and
They will not take any chances. 1t
is preposterous to suppose that ia
pan will delay its ratification. The
result is beyond all question.
Big BenefitA
What then will the United States
do? Some-say that congress can pass
a joint resolution declaring state
of peace with Germany. Others say
the United States can negotiate sep
arate and Independent treaty Those
who talk this way evidently have no
conception of the tremendous bene-
fits which the United States derives
from this treaty.
''1n article 2s1 Germany is com
PEELED to accept full responsibility for
the damages caused by the war. Does
any one think if we undertook to ne
gotate separate treaty with Ger
many, Germany would make any such
concessions to the United States? Ger
many might say she had never de-
clared war on the United States; that
it was the United States which forced
war on her.
Take the matter Of German prop
erty in the United States. Under this
treaty all acts OF the United States
and of the alien property custodian
with regard to that property are val
ldated unless Germany can show ac-
tual fraud. Is anyone insane enough
to suppose that Germany will volun-
tarily make that concession to us if
we lose the hold upon her which this
treaty gives?
This treaty creates commission
called the reparations commission. 1t
receives from Germany all reparations
paid and distributes them to the var
ious nations Does anyone think un-
der the circumstances TIE United
States can afford not to have a repre-
sentative on the reparations commits
sion? -
Defeat Of the treaty by means OF
proposed amendments to it is the real
program and hope of the majority of
the committee on foreign relations.
It is for this purpose that the treaty
has been locked up in cold storage
for SO many weeks.
"A few. very few, have declared
they would vote against the treaty
because of the League of Nations, but
it has remained for Senator Knox to
declare boldly against our participa-
ton in the peace settlement
Amazed the Country.
ITO say that he has amazed the
country is to put it mildly. He has
shocked the country. He formerly
favored taking the League Of Nations
out Of the treaty and ratifyinx the
peace settlement with Germany. Now
he suddenly changes.
'It is suggested that we desert our
associates and negotiate a separate
treaty. It is proposed that we adopt
a polio of quit and scuttle. It il pro-
posed that we repudiate our obliEa-
tons and like cravens leave them to
be performed by the nations lately as
.sociated with u.s.
WAS there ever a more insane In
ternational policy proposed? In the
mixture of poltroonery and folly 1t is
difficult to see which predominatee.
The senator from Pennsylvania goes
the limit. He not only proposes that
We desert our friends and abandon our
obligations. but he suggests that We
release Germanv from all promtses
of indemnitfes and reparationA. Why
not go further and propose that we
compensate Germany? That would
be still stronger appeal to German
sentiment.
'I have spoken of the treaty as 4
whole. But the LeaRue Of Nations
feature practically has been per-
sistently and unreasonAhly attacked ii
this chamber. Those who cOnjure up
these possible disadvantages seem "a
ignore altogether the enormous ad-
vantaEes Of organizing the world for
peace. They make mountains out Of
mole hills in feyieWtn8 dimeutt3eo u
the league plan. IN Z ss
lVlovement OF Isri - /,
Farnefs u I = State
Checs -
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