Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-29

the war.
Following this came the signing of
the armistice of November IL, the
terms of which wisely and properly put
1t beyond the power Of Germany there
after effectively to continue the war.
No Share In Political Adjustments
I'VE should have left the political
adjustments and the indemnities to the
powers Of Europe, who alone were i'm
mediately concerned, we at most exer
cisng restraining hand to sec, first,
that justice was done to n fallen foe.
But such was not the course fol-
| lowed, and our representatives sat at
the peace table as coequal negotiators.
|, The senator enumerated the powers
engaged in the struggle against Ger
many that have signed the treaty and
said:
II have mentioned these twenty two
states so we may have clearly in mind
the fact that all of them combined
could not, under the most favorable con
ditions one could hope for. withstand
| the armies of Germany one day, or
enforce against Germany's will the
most inoffensve treaty stipulation.
| Nor does the treaty in any of its
| parts blink this. There is no single
important function in the treaty, per
formable by the victor powers, which
! is not consigned to the five great
| powers.
Poor Russia
''But there is one power we miss in
all this, the power which met the brunt
! of the German shock while the rest of
the world got ready.
IL speak of poor, ever despOt ridden
! Russia. I have but said China enjoyed
! a unique position, but l spoke in haste.
| Russia. sir, is a problem. but dismem-
bcrmcnt by others is not its solution.
And shall I tell you, Mr.. President,
what the intelligent Russians, those of
the great so called middle CLASSES, are
saving? It is this-we must first re-
i, cover ourselves and wipe out the dis
honor of our collapse. the dishonOr Of
forsaking our Allies in the hour of their
dire need And then we must readJust
our domincns as we wish them, for
Russia can never be bound by the
Russian -dsposing portions of treaty
to which Russia is not party.
Visions German Slavic Alliance
''Think YOU Gcrmany-smarting and
staggering under the terms OF this, the
hardest treaty of modern times-will
even if we were to set up the league
and she should join it, supinely rest
content with the dole of grace and
sufferance we are vouChsating her, the
crumbs from her viCtors table!
'"That people will no more cease to
plot and plan to recover their former
high estate than did Satan, plunged
into the abysmnl depths of hell. Wheth-
cr they are in the league, if formed, or
out of it, Germany's agents, secretly or
openly. will be at work with her for
mer allies, and with injured Russia,
and with Japan--whOse conceptions,
ideals, aspirations and ambitions are OF
imperial Germany, not democratic
America, Britain and France. AS Rus
sia goes. so will the whole Slavic and
affiliated peoples. And if Germany sue :
ceeds i'm this and be able to unite these
powers to herself. to turn the teeming
millions of Russia to swell her own
ranks, and to augment this by the great
yellow races of the Pacific who, through
Russia. would have unimpeded access to
the battle front, western Europe, al
least. must perish. Think you, Ger
many. revengeful, will turn aside from
so imposing and grateful vision in
order to grace for generations con-
ouerOr's triumph?
Overlooked at Peace Table
"Why have we invited this vision
: Was there none at all of that much
vauntcd forward looking at the peace
1 tahIeY The wise, the obviously wise
course required not months of inVentlng
and piling up penalties, but few hours
devoted to plan that should rid Ger
n many of the Hohcnzollerns, that shouIc
. nroyide for her dcmocratization, that
. shOuId impose a lesson bearing lndem
= ritv and that should then bind witt
5 riyets of steel. because rivets of friend
t shin. the German people to Western
: EurOpe, to France, who cannot hope Il
q kcoD Germany under her feet. Napoleon
tried to conquer people and failed
this should be Frances lesson. The
only possible wise course for France
. hcr only permanent safety, is closes
y friendship with Germany.
Q 81 am trying to point out how France
q herself might escape further and more
p overwhelming wrong, suffering ant
grief. For as certain as the sun rises
q If we follow the road in which thi
n troatv sets our feet, France and our
. selves shall meet those on the way.
= Terms Of Treaty Harsh
Senator Knox summarized the fiftccI
u ,orts of the treaty de&ling with t"rri
;, torial adjustments, penalties and in
u domnitips and said there could Dc NJ
" question as 10 the propriety of com
.. pplling Germany to disgorge her loot
u hut he attacked the clauses which HI
. said took ''practically all of Germany
:, means of conducting commerce through
" her own vessels with overseas cOun
u tries" and features of the reparatiOl
y and restitution provisions described a
ruinous.
d Many of the damages laid agains
II Germany. Senator Knox declared, 'vio
+ lated the principles of internationa
It law.
He denied the impression which h
70 said had gone out that the reparatio
p commission could reduce the amount
" assessed against GermHnv--w which h
= said would far exceed the $24 900 900,
600 in gold bonds tentatively fixed b
= the treaty, and might run ITO an
lc amount.
lr Many of the financial conditions G