Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-07-22

this instrument which we are ask
ed to ratify in haste lest we break
the heart of the world
II Points Missing, Claim.
These constitute a victor's
peace; and with them ! have no
quarrel. But we look in vain
through its 267 pages for the elus-
i've IA points of peace. Open COW
enants long since took to hiding;
the freedom of the seas was treat
ed with scant courtesy at Paris;
the establishment of equality of
trade conditions among nations
consenting to the peace is nowhere
to be found in this instrument; the
earlier doctrines of no annexations
'and no indemnities long since be-
came a tragic joke; and there re-
mains alone, so far as present ne
gotiations have been reduced to
written form, the general associa-
ton of nations established by spe-
citic covenant.
Neither can we find here any
confirmation of the prediction that
this treaty was to be written in
disregard of the old order of the
balance Of power, and with no ele-
ment of national commercial greed.
All the elements of greed, national
suspicion and jealousy are only too
evident in almost every article OF
the treaty.
Allies Helped Selves, Charge.
In short, the sun of commercial
expansion in which Germany
sought a place passes into eclipse
behind this treaty, and the shack
les with which she is to be man
acled have been forged with nett
cuIous care by the forward looking
men with whom the president was
privileged to cooperate at Paris,
but whose cooperation was strictly
limited to looking out for them
selves, while not emitting to see to
it that the United States should be
made a full partner in every phase
of the enterprise designed for the
benefit of the other members of
the big five
1T naturally follows that treaty
such as this cannot be ratified |
without examination and we have
been assured that, if we examine |
it, we shall find that everywhere |
its manifold provisions |
its trainers have felt obliged to
turn to the League of Nations as
the indispensable fundamentally !
for the maintenance of the new or |
der which this instrument purposes |
to set up.
Separate Into Groups.
81 wish to call attention to the |
manner in which the signatories to |
the instrument have separated |
themselves into two distinct groups !
the first comprising the United |
States, the British empire, France,
the treaty described as |
the principal allied and associat-
ed powers" and the second, all the |
other belligerents with the excep- |
ton of Costa Ric4, whose absence
from the peace table has not yet |
been explained-to the number Of /
%.
League Not Given Tasks.
"In the delimitation Of the new
frontier line between Belgium and |
Germany, it is not the League of /
Nations, but a commission of seven
persons, five of whom will be ap-
pointed by the principal allied and /
associated powers who will assume
this task. In matters of contro-
VerSy relating to the return of AL
to French possession
It is not the League of Nations /
which functions, but the central
Rhine commissioner organiza-
ion set up years ago under the old
order, and now made use Of in the
light of new day. In the estab-
ishment of the new Czecho-SIo-
Yak state 1t is not the League of
Nations which will determine its
but it is the principal al
led and associated powers. SINH
arly with Poland and so, too, with
Cast Prussia.
League Bad, Treaty Worse.
II hope that an examination of
he treaty will convince others as it
las convinced me, that the instru-
nent is infinitely worse for us than
wen the League of Nations. bad as
t is; the provisions of this treaty
and without resource
hrust US in the endless snarls of
to set new boundaries
or contentious races in Europe
md impose upon us a share in the
ask of holding Germany in leash.
viii Oppose 1t. !
This treaty Of Versailles Is as ht