The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-09-06
Senator Hitchcock Handles Sem
,ator Knox Without
Gloves
TREATY OPPONENTS
GUILTY OF FOLLY
Result of Their Efforts Would
Be a Separate Treaty With
Germany

- ~SStSAe~SS 4SSSCy ~ 4S@A
Germany
Washington. Sept 3.-Declarins the
real purpose Of the foreign relations
committee majority in amending th>
peace treaty was to kill the treaty
entirely, and that such a course
would be suicidal to the United States,
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska, Dem
ocratic leao.r. asserted in a speech
today that the majority Of the sena-
tors never would accept any Of the
committee changes.
The treaty opponents, he said,
crawl on the ground looking with a
microscope searching for pitfalls in
fheIaeague Of nations and overlook
substantial BENEFITS which the treaty
would bring the, nation The pro-
pesaf Of Sena tor KnoN, Republican Of
Pennsylvania that the treaty be de-
feated and a separate peace made
with Germany was characterized by
the speaker as an insane mixture Of
poltroonery and folly
by d efOSS VI ttlItS " StSuSy SCIlo
Senator EitehcoclS, "the committee on
foreign relations is to bring sauarely
before the senate the question Of de-
feafing ..he pending treaty. Suppose
the senate should vote in favcr of the
Shantung amendment or any other? !?
What would happen?
Either tie president would refuse
to go further with the treaty Or he
would submit the amendment to the
nations associated with the United
Stares4 Does anyone believe they
would accept 1T? Does anyone be-
sliava that Great Britain, who has al
ready ratified the treaty and is also
under q pledge to Japan with regard
To Shaatuns :. would accept. the Shan
tusig anendnent? Does anyone think
that Franee, also under a pledge TO
sJaua W6uf7 ratffy this change Does
anyone suppose that Japan herself
would sdbmit to this humiliation be-
fore the eyes Of the wocld?'
ls1 can not conceive of any inteHi-
GENT and candid man who would as
.siir1e such 4 thing as a possibility. He
would be met by an instant refusal
to accept the amendment, and then
where would the United States find it
self In this international settlement?
We would find ourselves out in the
cold, isolated from the rest Of the
world. The worl. Of ratifying the
treaty would proceed without us.
THE treaty itself provides that
when three nations in addition TO
Germany, have signed it shall go into
effect. 1t IS easy to see the enor-
nous benefits which Great Britain
ana France viii. derive from this
treaty. They will not take any
chances. 1t is preposterous to sup
pose that Japan will delay its ratifi-
cation. The result is beyond all cues
ton.
what then VIII the United States
aeA Some say thar congress can
pass a, joint resolution declaring a
state of peace with Germany. 9th
ers say, the. United. States can negoti-
ate a, separate and Independent treaty.
Those who talk this way evidently
have no conception OF enormous bene-
fits which the United States derives
from this treaty.
eIn article PSI. Germany is COM
PEELED to accept full responsibility for
the damage caused by the war. Does
any one think if we undertook TO pc
afate a separafr- treaty with Ger
many, Germany would make any
such concess ions to the United States: ::
Germany might say she had never
declared wer on the United States;
that it was the United States which
forced war upon her.
ssTake the matter of German prop
efty in the United States. Under this
treaty all acts of the United States
ana of the alien property custodian
with regard to that property are vail
dated unless Germany can show &C
tual fraud is any one insane enough
to suppose that Germany will volun-
tarily make that concession to us II
we lose the hold upon her which this
treaty gives? Suppose Germany
points TO tn = treaties OF 1879 and 1923
under which we agree to respect the
private property o. German nationals
ia the United States.
"This treaty creates a commission
called the reparations commission
Unauestionably it will be the most
powerful international body ever ere
ated. 1t receives from Germany al!
reparations paid and distributes them
to the various nations. Does any one
think under the circumstances the
United States can afford not to have
representative on the reparatlcnf
commission?
ITO my mind it will be suicidal to
throw away the advantages ard
benefits provided in this treaty.
would be disastrous. commercially and
financially.
s.Defeat os the treaty by means Of
proposed amendments to it is the
req, program and hope of the major
ity of the committee on foreign re
7ations. It is for this purpose thai
the treaty has been locked up in colo
storage for so many weeks. The5
have felt iustiied in retaining the
treatv.in committee, holding useless
hearings ana making killing amend