The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-30
Senator Knox on the Harshness of
the Terms Imposed on Germany.

Senator KNOWS remarkable speech
yesterday afternoon presented an OBJ
lection to our ratification Of the
treaty-not merely the League of Ma
tons covenant but the whole treaty
which is entirely novel so far as any
previous public expression Of 1t at the
Capitol is concerned. Senator KNOX,
who was one OF the most vigorous
supporters of the nations cause when
We were fighting Germany for rea-
sons which nobody has more clearly
and accurately defined than himself In
his resolutions Of last December, now
declares his belief that the terms of
settlement reached at Paris by Presi-
dent WILSON and the other pegotla-
tors are harsh, cruel and impossible
of practical application without breed
ing new wars and involving the world,
from hundred centres of trouble, in
future strife inestimable. For that
reason Mr.. KNOX styles the document
that is now before the Senate not the
Treaty of Versailles but the Truce of
Versailles.
We do not understand the Senator
to mean that, from the point of view
of Britain or France or Italy, the ex-
IRENE punitive measures contemplated
by the treaty as now drafted, and as
already ratified by two of the Powers
concerned, are 100 severe 4, punish
ment for Germany's unparalleled
crime of 1914. But he does hold that
at is not our function to administer
the harshness of 1t or to participate
in that cruelty. II see no reason" he
says, why we, who do not partake
of it's spoils, should become parties
to its harshness and cruelty"
OF course there Is not particle OF
pro- Germanism in Senator KNox's
view of this matter. Nobody will ac-
cuse him or suspect him of unpatri-
otto sympathy with the Government
and the people against whom we We're
recently in the belligerent relation.
With this experienced and able states
man and one hundred per cent. Ameri-
can the question is purely one of the
effect of these harsh, cruel and prac-
tically impossible stipulations, carry
ing the punishment beyond the guilt
of the present generation and impos-
ing Il with crushing force upon the
innocent of generations yet unborn.
He is thinking also of the injustice
and inexpediency Of making the Amer
lean people the executioners of judg-
ment upon Germany for the benefit OF
The materially interested nations.
The Importance of this view will be
made obvious to every candid mind
nv a careful study of Senator KNOX S
powerful and original speech of yes
terday. The thought which he has
injected into the situation is bound to
grow. Let those Powers, says Sen
ator KNOX in substance, which de-
rhand the excessive punishment Of
Germany for the sake of what they
gain thereby become responsible for
its severity and for the consequences
which will result from Its merciless
and far reaching infection. Let the
United States refuse to be made the
agent of these separate interests. Let
our Government reject the treaty,
covenant and all, withdraw itself
wholly from the mechanism Of execu-
tlon, and proceed, by resolution of
Congress, to end hostilities simply by
declaring as no longer existent the
status of war which the declaration
Of Congress created.