The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-06-17
THE KNOX RESOLUTION.


The calmness of mind, the so
Der judgment, the patriotism OF a
great majority Of the senator's OF
the United States will stand as q
bulwark against the adoption Of
the astonishing and dangerous
resolution Of instruction and me-
mace to the peace conference III
troduced by Senator Knox of
Pennsylvania and referred to the
foreign affairs committee. We
have called th, resolution ian
gerous. 1t is dangerous, il is an
open threat to the peace confer
ence, and endangers the good re-
lations now happily prevailing
between the United States and
the other great nations represent
ed in the conference. It is so
flagrantly improper and imperti-
nent that the country will regard
with deep concern the existence
at Washington of a spirit which
could prompt a distinguished
senator, who has held the great
office of secretary of state, to
prepare and present for adoption
a resolution so shocking in its
violation of the customs and the
proprieties observed by nations in
the conduct of foreign Affairs.
There is no warrant in the con
stitution or elsewhere for the as
sumption that the senate through
every stage of treaty negotiation
is a "co-equal part of the treaty
making power of this govern
ment' The treaty of peace with
Germany is still in negotiation, it
is subject to changes, changes are
under consideration, and in that
stage of the process the preroga-
tive and the duty are altogether
executive. 1t is true that the SEN
ate is co-equally responsible. for
any treaty which is concluded
and ratified" That stage is yet
to come; in the final act Of ratifi-
cation the senate will have its OPP
portunity to pass Judgment upon
the work of the cfpefrence. Sen
ator Knox projects the senate at
once into the turmoil of the ne
gotiation, removes it from its con-
Stitutionally established sphere
of action, and would commit it to
an unheard-of encroachment
within the sphere which belongs
exclusively to the president.
Plainly, Senator Knox s judg-
ment was under the influence Of
emotions that seriously disturbed
it when he permitted himself to
speak in the preamble to the reso-
luton of the provisions Of the
treaty which "appear calculated
to force upon us relations unde-
sirable to our free institutions.
He went far beyond the permis-
sible limits even of political CON
troversy when in the second
clause Of the resolution itself he
spoke of the treaty as one (which
III effect amends the constitution
Of the United States" and de-
clared that "the senate of the
United States can not advise or
consent to any treaty provision
which would have such an effect,
if enforced" The assertion that
this treaty would have the effect
of amending our constitution and
the insinuation that the league
covenant is "inimical to our free
institutions, " constitute such a
monstrous Indictment of the pres
ident of the United States and of
the representatives of other pow
ers with whom he is in conference
at Paris that we are forced to the
conclusion that Mr. Knox spoke
there not at all with that deliber-
alton and sense Of responsibility
which should guide the utterances
Of a statesman, but in partisan'
heat and with most unbceoming
reckIessness of the consequences
of his words. Certainly no inter
national conference was ever be-
fore talked of in that fashion by
any other American off compar-
able standing and responsibility.
While this resolution is almost
unpardonably provocative, we
hope the statesmen of the other
powers at Paris will make such
large allowance for the political