The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-08

Qulreu wnetner the penalty snOulu ex-
tend to generations yet unborn. 1t Is
easy enough to say offhand that the
sins Of the fathers shall be visited
upon their children and their chilli
dren's children, but this doctrine Of
hereditary misfortune has scarcely
found a place in international juris-
prudence. There are probably twenty
or thirty million young Germans who
are as guiltless Of the great war
crime as the same number Of English
children or French children or Ameri-
can children. Even IN the perverted
Biblical theory Of the Righteousness Of
the descent Of vengeance, these Ger
man children have already suffered
for the sins Of their fathers. The
question remains as to how far that
same righteous descent Of vengeance
should extend to generation after
generation yet unborn.
THE SUN hopes 1t has made 1t clear
previously that 1t is as little pro-Ger-
man in its sympathies as it is un-
American In Its principles. Recognize
Ing the extent and force Of the wide
spread sentiment in favor Of the ex-
treme Of retribution already referred
to as existing here, where the losses
and sacrifices, though immense, will
scarcely bear comparison with those
Of Germany's nearer neighbors, we
may at least ask whether the view
Of the America of ten or twenty years
hence concerning the Germany Of ten
or twenty years hence will be quite
the same. Certainly 1t may be asked
whether the view Of history will be
the same as that now prevailing in
quarters where the blood is still hot
with just wrath concerning the ex-
pediency Of quite killing a whole ma
tons future for the crimes Of an
oligarchy now extinct. The Germany
Of the present has a heavy burden of
crime to expiate. The Germany Of
the future has n tremendous burden
Of atonement to bear. Wise states
manship looks ahead.
Do all the extreme territorial and
economic penalties contemplated by
! the treaty and the covenant count for
future amity in Europe, or do some
of them carry the seeds Of bitterness
that is bound to break into new war
when new conditions have obtained,
and President WILSON'S warmest ad-
mirers have admitted Dis failure to
change human nature and racial char
acterlstics while attempting to re-
construct boundaries and to change
the entire fabric Of government
throughout the world?
".
Many Of these questions, we repeat,
are not for Washington. They are
for the Europe, the Asia, the Africa,
the Polynesia to which they belong.
Except perhaps in one Americans
mind there is nothing absolutely sac
rosanct about the document that will
go to the Senate. The Senate's duty
of deliberate consideration and fear
lessly independent judgment is pre-
cisely what 1t would have been If
there had been no attempt to prevent
dissection, no artful continuing to
force hasty action in the name of
peace.
Fortunately. recent events have
made the Senate's task easier than it
seemed to the President when he
introduced the subject of the cadaver.
Just as Marshal FocH's reported atti-
tude may encourage the French Par
lament to refuse to ratify without res
ervations or amendment satisfactory
to Frances national interests, just as
Italy has already safeguarded her
own national rights even in advance
of signature, just as Portugal and
China and perhaps other associated
Governments may insist on reserva-
tons, so the Senate of the United
States must exercise freely It's consti-
tutional function.
The Senate and not the President is
the body representative Of the Amer
lean people in the making Of interna-
tional agreements. Perhaps its wis
dom and patriotism will discover
way to separate, way to dissect, a
way TO attach a broad reservation
which will meet here the situation
forced upon 1t by the Executive who