The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1919-08-01

propr1eCy and precedent. moreover |
that would seriously complicate the t
matter of ratification, since it could /
not be ratified before it was com
pleted, and it could not he completed |
before it had been accepted by the
diplomatic representative of all the
signatOry powers.
When the senate proceeded to de |
bate a treaty that had not been laid
before it, it was VIGOROUSLY notI
ready for submission and had nett
been accepted by the enemy power.
IL was guilty of grave Improperly,
While the boorish manner in which Il
mas been discussed by certain sena-
tors the repeated insults in debate
TO England and English statesmen,
not to say 20 the president of the
United States, are such as would
have been esteemed deliberate Ger
man propaganda year ago, and al e
equally contemplate today
Are Americans no longer proud OF
what this nation has accompl
Do they want 10 go hack to The drea1y
anti-B1itish hatred that We nave been
trying during these years Of war 10
counteract? Has England, or has she
not given rs cause tc tru.t her in tar
war? Do we wish to be he1 1rlenas
or her enemies?
Let men differ as hey VIII upon
political questions at home, bat lei
Us all-an ii Us who deserve the
name Of loyal Ame1icans-de nounce
all attempts at making partisan loot
balls Of those sacred matters that
have involved the blood Of our sons.
Mothers who wear the gold star, so4s
vino are still suffering in military
hospitals, are iEsulted by the manner
in which their supreme sacrifice IS
now being treated.
The treaty Of peace is frightfuily
serious matter 1t differs from al
previous treaties in three essential
characteristics: In the magnitude OF
the war, of which it is the cOncll-
sion; in the attempt TO make future
wars as nearly impossible as can be
made and in the great number vi
nations, each with separate interests
and varying ideals, which must cCi-
laborate and unanimously agree in
order that any treaty whatever NAV
be negotiated. If Japan or ItaiyI
could be left out or could be persu
AIDED 10 accept Ahglo-SaXon ideals
the treaty could be improved. It Isl
obvious that they cannot. The unpne
cedented circumstances make the ne
gotiation of the treaty probably the
most difficult diplomatic feat that
way, ever rattempted, and if it fails
the civilization OF the twentieth cen
tury may almost be said to 20 down
into defeat.
And because the United States IS
only one of so great number OF IL
terested powers is next to impossible
for the senate to amend the treaty
though the precedent established 5y
Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr Root OF rati1y-
ing it with a declaratory statement
of the understanding or position OF
the United States, as in The Hague
| conventions, is quite feasible.
And the power of the United States
senate to plunge the world into hope
less anarchy by refusing the coopera-
ton Of this government in the treaty
that stands for the reconstruction oh
the world, is a power so Overwhelm-
ing that it's wide reach can hardly.
be overstated. Yet when this treaty
has neither been completed nor laid
before the senate, the partisan de-
bates upon it have been an insult TO
the intelligence of the nation and a
slap upon the statesmen of those ma
tons with which we have until now
been assOciating as brothers arc
friends. not to say upon cur own.
Let no one suppose that subsidiary
questions are germane to this para
mount issue Of patriotism and sense
of national responsibility. 1t may De
that Mr. Wilson has been wondrously
tactless in dealing with the senate
it seems so TO US. It may be that he
has been unhappy in the choice OF
some of his associates in the govern
ment. Very likely he mas the defects
of an exceedingly determined nature
No doubt the surreptjtious appear
ance of copies. Of the treaty in New