The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1919-12-31
The Forum

Au0 dTt1Clo Is TAKEN IRON
the Christian Science Monitor, and is
published by US at the urgent request
of one of our readers:
IF Senator Knox were seeking deli
berately to stultify the United States
in the eyes Of the nations with which
it fought shoulder to shoulder in the
war, he could hardly discover means
to effect his purpose more completely
than by securing the adoption of the
resolution for which he secured the
majority support of the Foreign Re-
lations Committee in the United Stat
es Senate just before the holiday re-
cess. That such a resolution should
be presented with any serious purpose
to press it for adoption is difficult to
believe; that the people of the coun-
try will tolerate its adoption, as a
course of honorable procedure for the
Nation ir. its affairs with other ma
tons, is beyond eredence. Even as q
device for parliamentary effect, the
resolution is a sad reflection upon the
moral attitude and purpose Of this
country as to a method of disentang-
ling itself from the web of war.
The resolution has been discussed
as if it would secure the ratification
Of the Peace Treaty witnors: lnvolv-
ing this country in the Leagu of Ma
tions. What it actually provides is
that the declaration of a state of war
between Germany and tie United
States, as passed April 6, 1917, be r.
pealed, the repeal to take effect when
peace has been ratified between Ger
many and three Of the allied and as
ISOLATED powers. This repeal, howev-
er, is made conditional on the con-
cession by Germany to the United
States Of "all rights, privileges, in
IDENTITIES, PREPARATIONS, an advantages,
to which the United States would have
been entitled if it were a ratifying
party to said Treaty" This is to say,
the resolution is such that, if the Sen
ate should succeed in making it effec-
tive to express the rea2 position OF
this country in the present iuncture,
the United States would be coolly
saying to Germany, and through Ger
many to the world, "We are done with
the war. We note that peace has been
effected between you and three of the
allied nations with whom we fought
you some months ago. We have our
reasons for not joining with them in
~ratifying the common treaty with
you. But we, also, will deal with you
henceforth on a peace basis if you
will give us every advantage which
the allied nations agreed to demand Of
you on our behalf"
Az for enforcing the provisions OF
such q negotiation, the resolution pro.
vides the same penalties as those pro.
viided in the Tracing with tie Enemy
Act Of October 6, 1917. It prohibits
all commercial intercourse by the
people Of the United States with Ger.
manv and Germans, thus penalizine
American merchants while leaving The
Germans, Of course, to trade uncheck.
ed with the people Of other nations
And having thus undertaken to secure
everything worth while that the mert
Peace Treaty could assure for thu
country, while keeping clear Of all re
sponsibilities assumed by the partie.
to IL, the resolution throws a sop t.
those who looked to the League as {
step in the direction of eliminating
war It reafirms the policy Of tn
United States to settle internationa
disputes by arbitration, and again au
thorizes and requests the Rxesiden1
t1iAvite the great governments of TIL
world to a conference charged will
establishing an international court o:
arbitration, to CONSIDER the questio,
Of disarmament and submit their 70
communications to their respectiv,
governments for approval"
Reversion is the only word that ade
quataly describes what this resolution
would accomplish. In its effect upo1
the general status Of world peace, i
would revert to the days before tn
wax It would overturn completely
ofar a the United States is concern
q. Yhattsver pFosress toward work
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