The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-03
To Kill the Peace Treaty.
Says Senator Hitch
cock
OPPONENTS OVERLOOK
SUBSTANTIAL BENEFIT
Declares Majority of Sena-
tors Never Will AcceptAny
ofCommittee Amendments

Washington, Sept. 3.-Declaring the
real purpose of the foreign relations
committee majority in amending the
peace treaty was to kill the treaty en-
tirely and that such a course would be
suicidal to the United States, Senator
Hitchcock of Nebraska, Democratic lead
er, asserted in Senate speech to-day
that the majority of the senators never
would accept any of the committee
amendments.
The treaty opponents, he said, crawl
on the ground with microscope, search
ing for pitfalls" in the league of nations
and overlook substantial benefits which
the treaty would bring the nation. The
proposal of Senator Knox, Republican,
Pennsylvania, that the treaty be reject
ed and a separate peace be made with
Germany, was characterized by the
speaker as a mixture of poltroonery
and folly"
"By vote of to s." said Senator
Hitchcock, "the committee is to bring
squarely before the Senate the pending
treaty, Suppose the Senate should vote
in favor of the Shantung amendment or
pny otherg What would happen?
Either the president would refuse to
20 further with the treaty or he would
submit the amendment to the nations
associated with the United States. Does
anyone believe they would accept it
Does anyone believe that Great Britain,
who has already ratified the treaty and
is also under pledge to Japan with
regard to Shantung, would accept the
Shantung amendment! Does anyone
think that France, also under pledge
to Japan, would ratify this change
Does anyone suppose that Japan herself
would submit to this humiliation before
the eyes of the world?
81 cannot conceive of any intelligent
and candid man who would assume such
thing as a possibility. We would be
met by an instant refusal to accept the
amendment and then where would the
United States find itself in this interna.
ional settlement? We would find our
selves out in the cold, isolated from the
rest of the world. The work of ratifying
the treaty would proceed without us.
"The treaty itself provides that when
three nations in addition to Germany
have signed, it shall go into effect. It Is
easy to see the enormous benefits which
Great Britain and France will derive
from this treaty. They will not take
any chances. 1t is preposterous to sup
pose that Japan will delay ratification.
The result is beyond all question.
What, then, will the United States
do? Some say that Congress can pass
joint resolution declaring a state of
peace with Germany. Others say the
United States can negotiate a separate
and Independent treaty. Those who talk
this way evidently have no conception
of the enormous benefits which the
United States derives from this treaty.
"In article 23l Germany is compelled
to accept full responsibility caused by
the war. Does anyone think if we un.
dertook to negotiate a separate treaty
with Germany, Germany would make
any such concessions TO the United
States? Germany might say she had
never declared war on the United States
that it was the United States which
forced war upon her
Take the matter of German property
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 validated unless Ger
many can show actual fraud. Is anyone
insane enough to suppose that Germany
will make that concession to us if we
lose the hold upon her which this treaty
gives? Suppose Germany points to the
treaties of 1893 and 1928 under which
we agreed to respect the private prop
erty of German nationals in the United
States?
What has become of the high profess
sions of last year? Last October, when
Germany sought terms for the armistice,
the senators now seeking to kill this
treaty shouted for unconditional surren-
der. They demanded terms of peace die
tated to Germany They insisted that
the United States should to the last
maintain the closest cooperation with
the allied governments. They said it
would be breach of faith if we failed
to stand by Poland and other nations
formed as result of the war.
Nov what a change The treaty
has been negotiated, Germany has signed
it. Germany has ratified it, Great Brit.
ain and Belgium have done the same.
France, Italy and Japan will do so in
rapid succession. The treaty dictates
the terms to Germany Just as the SEN
ators demanded it should
But now the same senators who in
sisted on dictated peace propose to
abandon it and negotiate peace settle
ment on terms acceptable to Germany
1t is suggested that we desert our asso-
ciates and, negotiate separate treaty
1t is~proposed that we adopt policy Of
quiet and scuttle. 1t is proposed that
we repudiate our obligations and, like
crayens, leave them to be performed by
the nations lately associated with u.s.
OLDEST LIVING MAN IN IT 6