Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1919-06-20
WHY LOSE WHAT WAS WON.

WHY LOSE WHAT WAS WON.
! In The resolution rcpudiating the
! League Of Nations, which Mr.. knOX
hopes TO rush through the United
States Senate in time to embarrass
the Peace Conference, ii is stated
| That the Senate will regard as
| fully adequate for our national
needs a peace treaty which
will assure to the United States
and its people the attainment OF
those ends for which we entered
The war, and that it will look with
disfavor upon all treaty provisions
going beyond those ends"
When Congress declared the eX-
iStence of state of war between
the United States and Imperial
Germany it devoted the financial,
military and naval resources of the
country to the purpose of bringing
the conflict to "a successful tcrmi-
nation" which meant more than the
defeat OF the enemy ut whose hands
we had suffered many wrongs.
All wars are begun and prose-
cuted for the overthrow of the foe
rs a matter of course. If that were
the only end that we had in view
when we took up arms, the conflict
was ended on the I tn Of November
last, when Germany submitted to
superior force. Now that United
States Senator, who has been Sec
Ietary of State and Attorney Gen
eral, makes in effect a proposition
so extraordinary, we may be par
doncd for asking his attention TO
the results of some earlier wars.
The end that we sought in rero-
lutionary days was independence,
plished we had to adopt the Con
Stitution and fight the War of 1912,
The end hat we sought in 1861
was the preservation of the Union.
and later on the extinction of Slav-
cry, but painful process of re-
construction of the seeding States
and The adoption of several Consti-
tutional Amendments were neccs-
sary to secure the fruits of victory.
The end that we sought in 1861
when we went to war with Spain
was the removal Of medieval tyr
amy from our door, but before any
thing better look lis place we were
compelled to guarantee the liberty
Ct Cuba by the Plat Amendment,
and IN the far away Philippines,
which fell to us unexpectedly, we
found ourselves in duty bound to
exercise solemn trusteeship,
which is only now nearing its ter
animation.
Senator KnoX'S resolution SAYS
in effect that we attained our ends
in Europe when the German mill
tary power yielded TO the pressure
Of our armies, acting in concert
with those of the Allies. II that be
true Of the collapse Of the enemy
in the Argonnc, then nothing re-
manned 10 be done after Yorktown
or AppOmattOX or Santiago or Ma
Mia. Victory in the field or on the
seas was all that we had in view,
and those who proposed new con-
stitutionS, new treaties, new guar
antecS of liberty and new RESPONSE
bilitieS on our part were idealists
and Missionaries.
The world war in which the
United States has played a part so
| ~ oSttlSu III DdttlC
except the overthrow Of PruSsian
militarism. To leave the matter
at that point is TO ignore causes
and consequences as serious as
those that brought on the conflict.
Unquestionably we set out to beat
n war-mad Germany, but unless we
ran make sure that there are to be
no more war-mad Germanys our
sacrifices were in vain,
"The attainment of those ends
for which we entered the war" is
made impossible by Senator Knox's
resolution. BY killing the League
Of Nations we lose much and gain
little that will endure. We fought
for peace and security, not for rhis
generation alone but for genera
tons to come. Failing in that. we
have failed in all, Notwithstanding
our victories.-N. Y. World.