The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-05-21
THE PEOPLE SUSPEND JUDGMENT.


treaty public for the present according to dispatch from
Paris No doubt the for this violation of the rule
of open diplomacy that the four temporary dctators OF
the world fear that publicity would give rise to numerous
protests allied countries, possibly in such command
ing to force revision Of the peace terms If
the four were sure that the treaty would be approved is
prcsumabe that they would seek public approval for the
purpose of mpressng the Huns with the futty of resist
ance.
Whatever may be the situation in other countries, it
may be said the conceamcnt of the terms of the treaty
exceediny distastefu to Americans The secrecy that
surrounds the proceedings at Paris many Amer
to suspicious of the peace terms They have
become and critical in their attitude as they
have noted discrepancy after another 1t not
cording to the American spirit the American practice
to demand that the people shall approve of any national
without knowing what it is all about Public Of
fcas have sometimes made the mistake of concealing
their plans from the people in the hope that conceament
would prevent criticism and delay but invariably it has
been shown that conceament criticism and makes
delay certain The of popular resentment upon the
officials who take it upon themselves to make private
property of public is usually disastrous both to
the measures and the officials concerned.
Nothing to be gincd by Withholding the text of the
peace treaty from the people of the United States for
they be coerced into approva of the convention
the plea that other nations involved and would be
Inconvenience if the United States should amend
ect the treaty. American approval of the treaty de-
ponds solely upon the acceptbity of the measure from
the point of vie wof American interest Other nations are
shaping the treaty to conform to their interests Their
representatives at Paris have the to forecose upon
them by ratfyng the treaty without consulting them.
The American representatives have such power All
they doing is subject to approval rejection at Wash
ngon entirely apart from anything that any other ma
lion may do or wish to have done
The longer the text of the treaty withheld from the
American people the longer will be the delay in passing
upon it, assuming that the treaty will be signed by the
Germans The people reservng judgment at pres
nt because they have had only summary of the treaty
and facts coming to light which show that this
mary sklfully drawn document concealing import
information from the country The popular judgment
will be made up without the facts before it, The desire
for league Of nations that will prevent is strong
one but is not blind stupid desire that will be sat
isfed with evasons and concealmens The people will
Judge for themselves whether the prepared
at Paris effective league nations, actually tending
to prevent war; or whether it is an ENHANCEMENT tending
to provoke
portion of the treaty ignored in the official summary
provides that the compact shall go into effect
Germany and three allied nations have denoSited their
notifications at Paris The suggestion is thrown out that
if the United States should delay ratification after Eng
land France and Italy have ratified those countries will
reap the benefit of renewed trade relations with Germany
while this country will be the loser If that suggestion
made in the hope that the American people would de-
mand ratification of the treaty right wrong, for the
ake of doing business with the Huns it must have been
made by who is not American 1t is directly
contrary to the American spirit The United States
not be budozed or bribed. 1t will act in its own time
upon matters affecting its interests honor and independ
ence.
The treaty between the United States and Germany
should have been separate and not joint treaty. The
people have not demanded a treaty which would make
thi snation party to entanglements in Eu
rope. Now that President Wilson has joined in framing
joint treaty, proposing to launch the United States into
strange ventures and experiments in all parts of the world
for period far beyond the time in which the country
would have Mr. Wilson to think and act for it, the people
intend to scrutnize the novel proposition very thorough
ly--Washngton Post
Everybody has abandoned the fourteen points except
the Huns, and they're stuck them all.