New-York tribune., 1919-08-30
fennsylvanian Proposes
U. 5. Waive Indemnity
and Give Enemy Credit
for Sum Due America
Says Aim of War
Has Been Attained
Wants Peace Declared as
Soon as Three Nations
Vote for Ratification

~ VnSnfnUIOn bureau
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29.-Senator
Phllander c. Knox, attacking the
peace treaty in the Senate this after
noon, declared that the only safe way
to deal with the Paris document was
to reject it altogether and negotiate
a separate pact with Germany.
The Pennsylvania Senator recon-
mendcd that the United States re-
nounce all claims to indemn1rles, .nas-
much as Americas war aims were
satisfied when the Hohenzollcrns were
overthrow and there was now no rea-
son to take part in European settle
ments. He urged that Congress re-
establish peace as soon as three of
the Allied powers had brought the
treaty into force by their ratification.
The treaty terms. Senator Knox
said, went beyond the pale of interna-
tional law and would be impossible of
enforcement. He characterized them
as constituting mot the treaty, but
the truce Of Verailles." and as laying
letting"
II wish at the outset to make nv
own positioN perfectly clear, that rea-
son or excuse for misunderstanding or
misnterpretation may not exist. No
one more abhors Gernany's lawless-
ness, her cruelty, her gross inhumanity
in the conduct Of this war than do l.
No one is more determined than ! to
make her pay the full penalty for the
great wrongs she has inflicted on civ
ilization. The observations | shall make
are therefore dictated by no maudlin
sympathy for Germany, the felon who
must suffer the penalty incident to his
crime.
But I am vitality concerned in the
have if it be attainable. But, Mr.
Presi ident, I am convinced after the
most painstaking conside ration I can
give that this treaty does not spell
peace, but war--war more woful
and devastating than the one we have
but now closed. The instrument be-
fore us is not the treaty but the truce
of Versailles. 1t is for this body-thc
coordinate treaty making power Of this
great neutral nation Of Ours-to make
of the document peace treaty if pos
sble, or, if that be impossible, then we
must put this nation in such relation
world that our voice may hereafter as
heretofore be always raised for peace
Deplorcs Secret Negotiations
Senator Knox said he dcplored the
secrecy which attended the negotiation
of the treaty, and expressed confidence
that the American people were becom-
ing awakened to the gravity of the
issues involved in assuming the many
burdens and entanglements involved in
the treaty. He observed that all the
based are not in the possession Of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Discussing the proper functions Of a
peace treaty, Senator Knox said:
"Mr. President, treaty of peace has
two great functions. In the first place,
it ends the war and brings back peace,
and in the next place it gives to the
victor his spoils, which normally take
the form Of territorial adjustments and
monetary or other indemnity, either
merely to make good his losses or, in
victor be guided by a wise state esman-
ship, he so accommodates his spols as
not to SOW seeds for another conflict
with his erstwhile enemy. The great
war now ending was bottomed on Bis
marck's violation of this fundamental
principle France overlooked her in
demnity, but she never forgot nor for
gave AlsaceLorrane. There is. |
warn you, Senators, many another AL
saceLorraine in the treaty laid be-
fore US for action"
Steps to Ratification
Senator Knox then entered into de-
tailed explanation of the steps neces-
sary to a ratification of the treaty. Ex-
planning that the treaty came into
effect as soon as it was ratified by
three of the principal Allied or associ-
ated powers, he continued.
"To bring peace between us and
Germany it is not necessary that we
Congress need not accept this treaty
termination of our belligerency, and
might by proper resolution, either
joint, concurrent, or by separate reso-
luton to the same effect by the SEN
ate and House, respectively, continue
this war, because to Congress exclu-
sively belongs the authority to create q
status of war, and therefore it might
continue such a status by new
declaration. But Congress has no de-
sire to do and will not do this thing.
it cannot negotiate a peace with the
enemy, can nevertheless end hostilties
with him by declaring as no longer
existent the status of war with him,
which the Congress created by its own
act.
Resolution Necessary
"Thus, so soon as the first process
verbal is drawn under this treaty, Con-
gress may with all propriety, and
should to insure full legality to the
act of the Executive in negotiating
this particular treaty provision, pass a
solution-concurrent, because the
Executive, having already committed
himself to the substance thereof, his
shall declare that the status of war
created by it's resolution of April s,
1917, no longer exists and that status
of peace from that moment obtains.
Thus we shall put the country immedi-