The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-11-14

dwell desire immediate 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 INDIGESTION 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 ratifica'
ton which will not keep us longer in
rhe shadows OF possible wars, but give
the whole world the light OF peace.
Reservations in the nature of clarifi-
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
ana edCn uulleu w VIII
But there is no possibility OF doubt
that amendment Of the treaty, as is
now proposed by the senate commit
tee on foreign relations, would require
negotiation and a reopening of all the
questions decided at Paris Months OF
delay would follow. The perils of the
present would become the deadly dan
gers 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 con
spiracy Of speculator and profiteer,
would all grow and become more per
ilous.
This cannot be. The American peo-
pie cannot, after victorious war, per
NIT its government to petition Ger
many, which has accepted the treaty,
for its consent to changes in the trea-
ty. Yet If the United States should
amend the treaty for its own purpose
and policy, Germany would have full
right to ask for concessions. Germany
has agreed to make no claim in regard
to enemy property seized in this coun-
try to an amount of seven hundred
million dollars Our recent foe coule
ask for reopening of this issue and
of the Lusitania claims. 1t could raise
every question open before hostilities
in regard to submarine warfare and
the treatment of its nationals in this
country All the provisions for our
trade in Germany raised by the eco
nomic clauses of the treaty, many of
them vital to our industries and our
farms, as in dye patents, dye supplies
and fertilizers, the working OF the
PREPARATION commission, which super
intends the trade OF all with Germany,
could all be brought up by Berlin for
REIMBURSEMENT by our negotiators, act
ing for the United States alone and no
longer associated with other victorious
powers or supported by victorious
American army on the German border.
| SdC6 llSCllt luC pCoNO VI thp "NAANS
is delayed until ratification comes.
And any amendment postpones peace.
Germany and England alone of the
principal powers have ratified. The
other principals necessarily await our
action influential and powerful as we
are today in the worlds affairs, The
ravages of war on more than score
of fighting fronts are continued by
any needless delay. Let the senate
give the world peace by ratification
without amendment.
Even the amendment for which most
can be said, the provision in regard to
Shantung, will secure nothing which
cannot be gained if China, backed by
the powerful advocacy of the United
States, addresses itself to the machin-
cry for righting international wrongs
and meeting just claims created by
the league between nations. China,
after eighty years of oppressive trea-
ties and despoiled rights, by which all
the great powers have profited direct
ly or indirectly, has for the first time,
in this covenant and treaty, the means
and method to secure justice and the
removal of the oppressive economic in
reference of stronger nations whose
citizens are within her gates, protect
ed by a long succession of interna-
tional agreements. Moreover, it should
be remembered that the clause regard
ing Shantung was made upon the state
ment by Japan that she will return
the territory to China and, therefore,
upon that condition, compliance with
which promise the league can require.
The peace of the present and the
righteousness Of the future can be best
secured by the ratification of the cove
nant and treaty without amendment.
Let the senate take no action that will
give any party to the treaty, and espe-
cially Germany, ground for maintain
ing that the ratification OF the United
States is not complete and that
changes requiring resumption of con-