Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-07-04
Peace Terms TOO HARSH
Why Gen. Jan SmutS Does Not
Agree.
Hopes FOR:,,NATURALs sMODIFICATION

| South african statesman beIleves
That Unless Great Britain and
America Extend. Helping Hand Eu.
ropean Civilization Will Go to
! Pieces.
General Jan Smuts has made public
a statement regarding his attitude to-
ward the peace treaty. ..
General Smuts created G stir at the
signing Of the treaty Saturday by pre-
senting to the peace commissioners q
protest against some Of the treatys
terms. The statement contained in this
cablegram is supposed to embody the
terms Of the protest).
The statement, in part, follows:
II signed the peace treaty, not be-
cause consider it satisfactory docu-
ment, but because 1t is imperatively
necessary to close the war; because the
world needs peace above all else, and
nothing could be more fatal than the
continuance Of the state Of suspense
between war and peace. The months
since the armistice was signed, per-
haps, have been upsettins, unsettling,
and ruinous to Europe as the previous
four years Of war. look upon the
peace treaty as the close of these two
chapters Of war and armistice, and
only on that ground do agree to It
II say this, not in criticism, not be-
cause I wish to find fault with the
work done, but rather because feel
that in the tres y we have not yet
achieved the real peace to which our
peoples were looking, and because I
feel that the real work OF making
peace will only begin after this treaty
has been signed and definite halt has
thereby been called to tie destructive
passions that have been desolating Eu-
rope for nearly five years.
This treaty is simply liquidation
Of the war situation in the world.
There are guarantees laid down which
we all hope will soon be found out Of
harmony with the new peaceful tenn
per and unarmsd state Of our former
enemies. There are punishments fore
shadowed, over which a calmer mood
may yet prefer to pass the sponge OF
oblivion. There are indemnides stipu-
lated which cannot. be exacted without
grave injury to the industrial revival OF
Europe, and which 1t will be In the in
terests Of all to render more tolerable
and moderate.
THE war resulted not only in the
utter defeat Of the enemy armies, but
1t has gone immeasurably farther. We
witness the collapse OF the whole polit-
ical and economic fabric Of central and
eastern Europe. Unemployment, star
vation, anarchy. war. disease and des-
pair stalk through the land, and unless
the victors can effectively extend
helping hand to the defeated and brok-
en- peoples q large part Of Europe Is
threatened with exhaustion and decay.
Russia has already walked into the
night, and the risk that the rest may
follow Is very grave Indeed.
THE effects Of this disaster would
not be confined to central and eastern
Europe, for civilization is one body,
and we are all members Of one anoth-
er. The supreme necessity is laid on
all to grapple with this situation. To
the peoples Of the United States and OF
the British empire, who have been ex-
ceptionally blessed with the good
things Of life, I wsuld make a special
appeal. Let them exert themselves to
the utmost in this great work Of saw
ing the wreckage Of life and industry
on continental Europe. They have
great mission, and in fulfilling 1t they
will be as much. blessed az blessing.
"All this is possible, and, I hope,
capable Of accomplishment but only
on two conditions. In the first place,
the Germans must convince our peo-
pies of their good faith, Of their COM
plete sincerity, through q real honest
effort to fulfill their obligations under
the treaty to the extent Of their ability.
Second; our allied peoples must re-
member that God gave then over
whelming victory, victory far beyond
their greatest dreams, not for small,
selfish ends, not for financial Or eco
nomic advantages. but for the attain
ment Of the great human ideals for
which our heroes gave their lives, ana
which are the real victors in this war
of ideals.
There are numerous pin pricks
which will cease to pain under the
healing influences Of a new interna-
tional atmosphere. A real peace OF
peoples ought to follow, complete, ana
amend the peace Of statesmen In this
treaty. However, two achievements OF
far-reaching importance for the world
are definitely recorded. One Is the
destruction of Prussian militarism; the
other is the institution Of the league OF
nations. I am confident the league OF
nations will yet prove the path OF es-
cape for Europe out Of the ruin
brought by this war, but the league az
yet is only the form. 1t still requires
quickening life, which can come only
from the active interest and vitalizing
contact Of the peoples themselves.
"a new creative spirit, which IL once
more moving among the peoples In
their anguish, must fill the institution
with life and with the inspiration for
pacific ideals born Of this war. and so
convert it into a real instrument OF
progress In that way, abolition OF
militarism-in this treaty, unfortunate
| ly, confined to enemy-may soon come
as a blessing and relief to the Allied
peoples as we'll, and enemy peoples
should at the earliest possible date join
the league. Not in selfish domination,
but in the common service for the great
human cause lies the true path of
national progress. This joint collabor-
alton is especially necessary today for
the reconstruction Of ruined and
broken world"
John T. Moore Of Columbia, was