The sun., 1919-10-28
HOUSE IN TREATY
PLOT, KNOX CHARGES
"President's Colonel" Intrigu-
ing Abroad to Force Covenant
Through, He Says.
L. S. FACES HUMILIATION
Adoption by Other Nations
Likely to End Power of
Reservations.
:. S. FACES HUMILIATION
specia, Despatch 10 THE Sun.

Special Despatch TO TIE Sun.
WASHINGTON, Oct 27.--Charging that
Col Edward M. House-"The Presi-
dents Colonel" he was called-hss been
diligently intriguing in Europe to insure
that the treaty of peace shall go into
effect without any notifications to treaty
terms or the League of Nations cove
nant, Senator Knox (Pa.) made a new
attack in the Senate on the peace pact
to-day.
Senator Knox pointed out that even II
the United States adopts amendments
or reservations, or both, the programme
is to have the treaty, as originally writ
ten, already in effect before We make
our exceptions known. Thus the United
States will, be in a class by itself, and
the question OF whether other Powers
will accept or reject our amendments or
reservations becomes one IN which no.
body except the individual Powers will
have any interest.
THE status of peace being created by
the notifications of three Powers" SAID
Senator Knox, "and those Powers hav-
ing the right, under the treaty they have
thus ratified and put into force, TO dis
arm Germany and obtain the CONNER
cial and other advantages which the
treaty gives to them. they will be quite
willing to let the rest OF the world &C
cept or reject the treaty benefits as they
may wish.
Gain to Others shown.
Indeed, Il the other Powers should
forego the indemnities paid under the
treaty, the great Powers would have
some advantages, because II would leave
the more German assets for them. or
course, as have said. the great Powers
hope for the mighty strength of this ma
ton to enforce the acknowledgement
Ifiuously termed PREPARATION in the
treaty-snd will go any lengths to get
it short of losing the treaty itself, for
that. when the pinch comes, they VIII
surely save.
Moreover, II is interesting to observe
that even should we ratify this treaty
with amendments and reservations and
deposit our ratification in Paris, and
even IL we were the third Power so to
do. this would not necessarily mean that
the treaty as written would not go
into force. Indeed the chances are
many to one that the treaty VIII go
into force as written in spite of such
ratification by us or Of any other
action we might take, because II we
ratified it with reservations and amend
ments before three other Powers had
unreservedly ratified We should stand
in a class by ourselves, and all that need
be done in order to put the treaty as
int aft hat
and the great European Powers would
be for third Power, Italy. for ex-
ample. to ratify II Internationally.
whereupon the treaty would then go into
force as written and we would still
stand on the outside without our amend
ments or reservations affecting the sit
uation whatsoever.
Status OF League.
And in this connection it is well to
remember that our Executive is the only
one whose heart will be broken II the
league is touched the Powers are look
ing not at the league but at the rest
OF the treaty. and there is every reason
to believe we may have our way about
the league. whatever that may be. IL
we will but put our military force and
material resources behind the balance
OF the treaty. =
Thus the status of peace being ere
ated by the ratication of the treaty by
three great European Powers, as it can
and in all probability will be, no matter
what we do. the question of any other
Powers accepting or rejecting its benefits
or mourning its obligations is a matter
in which that Power is practically alone
concerned.
THAT the foregoing is an accurate
Al, ,st to-. f-
out to the fullest extent by the attitude
which. according to the press. the Execu-
tive recently took, through his personal
and unofficial but all powerful repre-
sentative in Europe. The press then car
ried the information as TO the Presidents
Colonel, that for the last four weeks
in a quiet way he has been working to
insure the league not starting without
the United States as long as there was
chance that America could be the third
Power TO ratify the Versailles treaty.
that he has been working against con-
siderable opposition TO prevent the league
plans from proceeding too rapidly and
that he had induced Great Britain and
France to bring pressure to bear upon
Italy and Japan to the end that they
should not ratify the treaty and thus put
1T into operation.
MeddIing Tactics Bared.
THAT is to say, the Presidents Colo
mel has been deliberately intermeddling
in this situation in order TO force the
Senate to ratify this treaty without
amendment or reservation, by allowing
the Executive to continue to hold over
this body as a club false public opin-
ion of the country, built up and sus-
tained on the erroneous supposition that
peace cannot come to US without our
ratification of ~ treaty and that rati-
iication with apRr dments or reserva-
lions on our 49, would require the re-
assembling OF a new peace conference
and therefore the indefinite delay of
peace.
MAY ! digress long enough to observe
that we have here before our eyes AN
example of the way in which our domes-
tic affairs may be operated when we Join
the league? Here are two great powers
OF Europe Joining in a conspiracy with
our own Executive in aiding and abet-
ting him In his deliberate and avowed
intention OF imposing upon the American
people the treaty burdens and obligations
which a great part OF them are unwill-
ing to undertake and which a majority
OF this very body is unwilling to sane
ton. II coercion such as this can be
brought to bear before the league goes
into effect NAV we not pause consider