Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-08-29
SENATOR KNOX
DEMANDS THAT
U. s. STAY OUT
Declares That Peace Treaty
Cannot Be Enforced as
it Stands.
Believes Germany will Form
Stronger Alliance Against
Allies.

Washington, Aug. 2s.-Declaring
that the peace treaty cannot be en-
forced, but. will lay the foundation
ator Knox Of Pennsylvania, Repub-
lican member Of the foreign relations
committee and former secretary OF
state, told the senate today that the
United States should decline to be-
come q party to the settlement effect
ed at Versailles and should negotiate
q separate peace with Germany.
In its hard and cruel terms, he
asserted, the treaty imposed on Ger
national law and engender strife.
Would Decline.
1.-THE more I consider this treaty."
said Mr.. Knox. "the more am con-
vinced that the only safe way for US
to deal with it is to decline to be q
party to it at all.
II think we should renounce In
favor of Germany any and all claims
for indemnity because of the war ana
see that she gets credit for what we
renounce. We ought to renounce all
participation or membership In COM
missions, committees boards or 9TH
aid Of its execution to which by Its
terms we are parties. We ought not
to accept cessions of German terri
tory. We ought to declare q general
policy to regard with concern any
threat of disturbance of general
world peace, but at the same time we
should reserve complete liberty OF ac-
tion, either Independently or In con-
junction with other powers, in taking
such steps as we determine wise Ior
preserving the peace.
I'VE ought then to carry out the
spirit. of the act of 1916, which au-
thorized the president to convene the
nations of the world together to estab-
lish a code of international law, re-
duce armaments, to establish an IN
ternational tribunal and go as far as
possible in the direction OF securing
peace through justice, through q
league which all the world are parties
in its formation.
'"This would be fitting. generous
and dignified exit from situation in
which primarily we had no direct con-
cern.
"It is indeed hard and cruel peace
. that this treaty stipulates. and l nave
no objections to it's being SO, but see
take in its spoils, should become par
ties to its harshness and cruelty"
Senator Knox said a state of peace
actually would be established In the
world as soon as three of the great
powers had ratified the treaty, and
that the United States should make
her own peace status complete by
concurrent resolution of congress.
"'T Getting the Facts.
Declaring the foreign relations COM
mittee had tried in vain to get i'm
portant data relating to the treaty,
the senator said the people at last
were waking to the true issue rs tne
fact about the Versailles negotlations
leaked out.
Little by little" he continued,
"they are bringing a. divu1gency Of the
facts connected :. with the treaty and
they may now hope finally to see the
whole OF the great gaunt tragedy
into which those whom they had
charged with protecting them were
about to betray them"
tions in 1917, that the purposn OF the
United States in the war was to over
throw German autocratic power and
leave the German people free 70
"choose their own ways Of life" the
senator said that with the signing OF
the armistice I'VE had achieved the
full purpose for which we entered
the war" and should have quit the
war as we entered it, still free and In
dependent, masters of our own des-
tiny"
German Agents May Work.
Calling attention that Russia was
not included in the peace settlement,
he continued:
think you Germany - smarting
and staggering under the terms of this
treaty, will supinely rest content with
the dole Of grace and sufferance we
are vouchsafing her. the crumbs from
her victors' table? That people Will
no more cease to plot and plan to re-
cover their former high estate than
did satan plunge into the abysmal
depths of hell. Whether they are
in the league, il formed. or out Of it,
Germany's agents, secretly or openly,
will be at work with her former allies,
and with injured Russia, and with ia
pan. AS Russia goes, 80 will go the
whole Slavic and affiliated peoples.
And il Germany succeeds in this,
western Europe, at least, must per-
iSh."
Stripped of its idealistic phrases.
Mr.. Knox said, the treaty really was
but an alliance among five great pow
ers against whom Germany would try
to bring q stronger alliance.
1.-THE instrument before us," he said,
ssio not fho treaty. hut the truce of