The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1919-06-20
SENATORS DEBATE
THE PEACE TREATY
Republican Leaders May Force
Separation of Questions.
HOPE TO BALK PEACE PACT
Struggle Against the League of Ma
tions Begins in the Upper House
of congress-Knox Opens
the Battle.

Washington, June Ex-senator
Knox, Republican, of Pennsylvania,
| opened debate in the senate on his
resolution proposing separation of the
| covenant of the League of Nations
| from the treaty with Germany.
! In the midst of discussion of the
| agricultural appropriation bill, the
| senator delivered a prepared address
which promised to precipitate a bitter
! fight.
Senator Knox told the senate his
| resolution did not declare either for or
/ against the league; that it proposed
merely and solely" that the senate
! advise and consent to the treaty
(which shall bring up peace" and re-
p! serve for future consideration other
portions of the document proposing
! the creation of the league.
Fears for Monroe Doctrine.
| The former secretary of state re-
piled to charges that the Republicans
are making partisan issue of the
league and argued that more time
should be allowed the American people
to consider it.
Senator Knox declared the Monroe
doctrine provision inserted in the re-
! vised covenant of the league would
wipe out that doctrine.
''It is hard to speak calmly of sNch a
perversion as this" said Senator Knox.
'3t is hard to conceive of any man ira
ditiOned in Americanism lending his
sanction to such mOnstrOsity. Never
before has the Monroe doctrine been a
mere measure of spineless pacifism. 1t
has until now been a strong means Of
self-prOtection and self-preservation.
at was aimed to keep monarchy
from this hemisphere; kings, princes
and emperOrS were to have no place
on this side of the world. But under
the new doctrine, if Mexico should
peaceably agree to allow Japan strip
of her western territory if Guatemala
should make an alliance with Great
britain. or Brazil with Germany, or
Argentina with Italy, or if they should
grant to them regions or strips of ter
ritOry, or concessions or zones of in
f1uence, how could we say that "a re-
giOnal understanding-for securing the
maintenance of peace had been viO-
lated? Would not the answer be, no
hostile activity has occurred, none Is
contemplated, and none will occur I'M
less you yourself, America, undertake
or threaten them? And if we did
threaten them, no matter how great
the menace to our own existence they
might ultimately prove, we should
merely bring us. within the restraining
hand of the whole league itself"
1.-The Monroe doctrine, in it's cove
nant form, is a sanction and an invi-
tation to colonization by monarchies
Zone of the precise things to avoid
which the Monroe doctrine was de-
c1ared) for in the great emancipated
brotherhood which the league pro-
fesses to set up, what brother can &C.
cuse his fellow of so ignoble a thing
as design upon the power and integ
. rity of his own dominiOn-a thing
made holy by the league itself?"
Charge of Partisanship.
Referring to the charges of parts
/ anship Senator Knox said, eff opposi-
ton or support of the league becomes
a party issue, it will not be with my
partisan support"
"But if senators on the other SIDE"
he added, continue as a party to Op-
! pose all efforts to secure full cOnsid-
Grafton of this great matter, if they
do not cease to listen to and to obey
the mere fiat of partisan executive,
then I say here and now, in all sobesr
ness, / shall be the last to shrink from
the issue which they force.
"And I will say further, if to stand
for the rights of the senate as a CO.
equal part of the trenty-making power
is a manifestation of partisanship,
then I am partisan; if to demand
that the people of the United States
shall have the right to make up their
own minds as to whether or not we
shall put ourselves under the DONNA
ton of the balance of the world; if to
regard our free institutions as the
greatest instrumentalities of govern
ment which the world now possesses
and therefore worthy of preservation
over all others which exist in the
world if to love my own country and
our own people with my whole heart
and soul above and beyond all other
countries and peoples of the world-if
these things are manifestation of par
tisanshfp, then, thank God, I am q
partisan"