Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-07-27
The Versailles Treatg

papers was to be believed it would
lead to the conclusion that all the
people. with the exception of a few
senators at Washington. are in
favor of Immediately approving the
Versailles treaty as a whole. Moth
ing could be farther from the truth
If you doubt this take the trouble
to Interview few of your thinking
neighbors and friends and I will
wager my time against yours that
emitting those who have been or
hope to be rewarded by political
preferment, that you will find seven
out OF 10 oppose ratification as IL
stands, without amendment or
reservations.
That some form of world treaty
might be framed that would pre-
vent OF even lessen the possibility
of war is the heartfelt wish of every
sane human being. But the present
conglomeration Of contradictions
with the surrender Of the sover-
eighty Of the United States as a
nation does not, and never will, meet
with the approval of the American
people; and the individual or party
that stands for such a betrayal of
America will sink into political
oblivion as surely as time passes.
The American people are neither
blind or senile and cannot be de-
ceived like the patriarch of old.
They will not say 1.-THE voice is
Jacobs voice but the hand is the
hand of Esau," but they will recog-
nize that the hand and voice both
belong to one and the same.
| There must be somethin, in the
treaty or in the history of its forma-
ton which the trainers are ashamed
to tell the people or they would not
so strenously have objected to it
being made public. Are open
covenants openly arrived at" to pass
into the discard along with I'VE
are too proud to fight" "he kept
us out of war" and peace without
victory?"
The most casual reader Of his
tory, even a Henry Ford, must
realize that nothing of such vital
| importance to the life Of this nation,
| as the ratification or rejection of
| this treaty, has occurred since the
day that the progenitors of it's
| chief sponsor fired on Fort Sum-
| ter.
| Republicans who oppose the raft
| fication of the treaty are charged
with being actuated by partisan
motives but of course the papsuck-
ers, stool pigeons and apologists
| of the administration, who are yell
ing their lungs out in its support,
are prompted only by the highest
spirit of loyalty and patriotism.
Draw your own conclusion, but do
not place all those who favor ratifi-
cation in the same class. The most
honest and sincere people make mis-
takes.
OF all the assinine propositions
| yet suggested the most absurd is
| that for the United States to ratify
| the treaty and then Immediately
| of withdrawal. If the United States
does not join the league practically
| in the form now proposed there
will be none, and if they do join
| there doubtless will be, as it is
| case where we have everything to
| lose and nothing to gain, while the
| European nations have every thing
| to gain and nothing to lose. If we
| should join and withdraw at the end
| Of two years there would then be
a. league of all the other nations
ready to compel us to remain a
member either by choice or force,
This section providing for with
drawal shows how loosely the whole
treaty Is drawn. 1t provides that a
member may withdraw after giving
two years. notice, provided it has
kept the covenants" but it does
not say whether the covenants must
be kept to the date notice is given
or for the two years thereafter; if
the member is Immediately relieved
.rix
is a farce; if bound for two years
thereafter the withdrawing member
/ might be forced into a world war
greater than the one just ended
and be unable to withdraw. A care
full reading of the whole treaty will
disclose many as absurd and am
bigious provisions.
By the terms Of the treaty the
province of Shantung is to be de-
livered over to Japan for exploita-
ton and robbery. BY this act 49,
100000 people, who had civiliza-
ton, measured the stars and used
the printing press when our Anglo
Saxon ancestors were living in tents
and caves, are to be delivered into
the hands of the most cruel, treach-
erous and indecent race of people
that ever lived under an organized
government. These same Japanese
are now, today, committing atroci-
ties upon the Koreans that would
put to shame the most cruel boche
that ever invaded Belgium or the
''unspeakable" Turk that raped Ar
menia. And with this race of yellow
degenerates we are asked to join
hands to enforce a peaceful and
moral government of the world.
might IN ha far-fatcha1
but stranger things have happened.
Suppose we join the leage and wake
up some morning and find that Can
ada has decided to seperate from
the mother country, as we once did.
England notifies us that some
rebels in Canada are trying to
destroy 1.-The territorial integrity
of the British empire and they de-
mand that we at once send our ar
mics to subdue the TRAITORS" as
we are so much nearer, can do it
SO much quicker and probably bet
ter than themselves. How would
you like to send your boy to fight
our neighbors on the north to pre-
vent them from doing what we are
SO proud that our forefathers did.
If we failed or refused we would
be guilty of violating the solemn
covenant of ARTICLE X' To this
some subtle lawyer, paid to defend
the treaty, may reply that we are
only bound to defend against lex
ternal aggression" but if Canada
succeeded in inducing the smallest
nations in the world to come to it's
aid, we would then surely be bound
to assist in its subjugation.
Divine history records that One
was offered "all the Kingdoms Of
the world in a moment of time" if
he would fall down and worship a
certain parsonage; the temptation
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