The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-09-24
Leaders in Forty States, Regard
less Of Party, Sign Ring
ing Appeal
TREATY WITHOUT AMENDMENT
Say Every Day Of Delay Puts
World In Imminent Peril Of
New War Point to
National Unrest.

~'SW AVAh AoRStAaAfs-4 WI nunuIC1
and fifty leading Americans. Repub-
leans and Democrats representing for
ty different states and every prominent
activity have Joined In non-partisan
efforts to bring about the ratification
of the Peace Treaty without amend
ment and without delay" Their names
are attached to an address to the
United States senate, which was made
public today, through the League to
Enforce Peace. after 1t had been sent
to every member of the senate.
The signers, almost without excep-
ton, are men and women Of national
reputation. They include such promi-
nent citizens as ex-President Taft,
George w. Wickersham, Attorney Gen.
eral In the last Republican administra-
ton; A. Lawrence Lowell, president Of
Harvard; Charles @. Moore Of San
Francisco, president of the Panama
Exposition Judge George Gray Of VIII
mington, Del; President Samuel Com
pers of the American Federation Of
Labor, Harry A. Wheeler OF Chicago,
retiring president of the Chamber Of
Commerce of the United States; Mrs.
Carrie Chapman Gait, president of the
National American Woman Suffrage
Association; Cyrus III. X. Curtis. the
Philadelphia publisher; President He
Der ]. Grant of the Mormon Church,
and Spargo, leader of the Socialists
who supported the war.
The signers declare that every day
of delay In ratifying the treaty puts
the world in Imminent peril Of new
war;"
Their statement follows:
In the senate at Washington, now
that the committee on foreign rela-
lions has reported the treaty, the lines
are sharply drawn between the imme-
diate ratification of the treaty Of peace
with Germany, and Its amendment
with a reassembling Of the conference
and q reopening Of negotiations that
would bring great delay and prolonged
uncertainty In settling the great issues
Of the peace. No partisan plea can be
made. Party lines are already broken.
Standing at distance from the con-
lict In the senate chamber, we plead
for immediate ratification without de-
lay. Our land requires 1t. A state of
nervous strain, tension and unrest ex-
lists manifesting itself in disturbances,
which ia some cases have no self evi-
dent connection with the war, but
which are, In fact its aftermath. The
world is put In imminent peril Of new
wars by the lapse of each day. Dissen-
sions between us and our former allies
are being sown. We firmly believe and
solemnly declare that the states and
cities in which we dwell desire imme-
diate peace.
The waging Of war steadied and
united the American people. Peace
will bring prosperity, and prosperity
content. Delay in the senate postpon-
ing ratification In this uncertain period
Of neither peace nor war has resulted
in indecision and doubt, bred strife
and quickened the cupidity Of those
who sell the daily necessities Of life
and the fears Of those whose daily
wage no longer fills the daily market
basket.
We beseech the senate to give the
land peace and certainty by ratif1ca-
ton which will not keep US longer In
the shadows of possible wars, but give
the whole world the light Of peace.
Reservations In the nature Of clarifl-
cations In the meaning Of the treaty,
not inconsistent with its terms, will
not require the reopening Of the ne
gotiations with Germany and with our
associates In the war, which we all
and each united to win.
But there Is no possibility Of doubt
that amendment of the treaty, as IL
now proposed In the Senate Commit
tee on Foreign Relations. would 10
quirs negotiation and reopening Of
all the questions decided at Paris.
Months of delay would follow. The
perils Of the present would become
the deadly dangers Of the near future.
All the doubt engendered would aid
the plots for violent revolution In this
and other lands. The issues here and
elsewhere between capital and labor.
the conspiracy Of Spectator and prof
iteer, would all grow and become more
perilous.
This cannot be. The American peo-
pie cannot, after a victorious war.
permit its government to petition Ger
many, which has accepted the treaty.
for its consent to changes In the trea-
~. Yet II the United States should
amend the treaty for It's own purpose
and policy, Germany would have full
right to ask for concessions. Ger
many has agreed to make no claim In
regard to enemy property seized In
this country to an amount of seven
hundred million dollars. Our recent
foe could ask for a reopening of this
Issue and Of the Lusitania claims. II
could raise every question open be-
fore hostilIties In regard to submarine
warfare and the treatment of its ma
tionals in this country. All the pro-
visions for our trade In Germany
raised BY the economic clauses of the
treaty. many Of them vital to our In