The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-08-30
Former Republican Secre-
tary Declares u nj t e d
States Should Decline to
Be party to Pact.
DESCRIBED AS HARD,
AND CRUEL IN TERMS
Foundation. for Centuries of
Blood Letting" and Strife
Would Be Laid, Knox
Says in Speech.

Washington, Aug. 29.-The peace
treaty was aggressively-assai today
by senate foes with the foreign rela-
tions committee approving three more
textual amendments and Senator
Knox. republican, of Pennsylvania, ad-
vising the senate the only safe way to
deal with the treaty was to reject it
altogether.
With all democratic members and
Senator McCumber. republican, voting
against it, the committee adopted
amendments designed to equalize Brit
ish and American representation on
the League of Nations. to prevent
British dominions participating in the
league decisions affecting any one of
them. and to curtail the power of the
American representative on the COM
mission which is to collect reparations
from Germany.
Declaring that the peace treaty can
not be enforced but~will lay the foun-
dation ''for centuries of blood letting"
Senator Knox told the senate today
that the United States should decline
to become a party to the settlement
effected at Versailles and should ne
gotiate separate peace with Ger
many.
In its "hard and crueP' terms, he
asserted. the treaty imposed on Ger.
many penalties which violate interna.
tionai law and engender strife. He
declared there was no reason why the
United States should project itself
into the dangers of such a situation.
The more 1 consider this treaty."
said Mr.. Knox, "the moro i am con-
vinced that the only safe way for US
to deal with it is to decline to be a
party to IL at all.
Il think we should renounce in favo-
of Germany any and all claims for in
demnity because of the war and see
that she gets credit for what we re-
nounce. We ought to renounce all
participation or membership in COM
missions. committees, boadrs or other
wise provided for in the treaty in aid
of its execution to which by its terms
we are parties. We ought not to ac-
cept cessions of German territory. We
ought to declare a general policy to
regard with concern any threat of dis
turbance of general world peace, but
at the same time We should reserve
complete liberty of action either in
dependently or in conjunction with
other powers in taking such steps as
We determine wise for preserving the
peace.
We 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 es-
tablish an international tribunal and
SO as far as possible in the direction
Of securing peace through justice, |
through a league to which all the |!
world are parties in it's formation.
This would be a fitting. generous
and dignified exit from a situation in
which primarily we had no direct
concern.
1T Is indeed a hard and cruel peace /
that this treaty stipulates and 1 have 1
no objections to it's being so, but seel
no reason why we. who do not partake |
in it's spoils, should become parties tot
it's harshness and cruelty.
Il see no reason why we should be /
parties to imposing upon Germany a |
treaty whose terms, our negotiatorsl I
say, she will not be able to meet; al
treaty that robs our ancieAt friend,
China, in way disapproved by uir
negotiators; treaty that lays the
for centuries of blood-let-l
ing into which we should not be
irawn, treaty that. contrary to our
own Judgment, fails to fix the amount i
# indemnity to be paid, leaving that
yast question to the whim of a major
ty of a commission on reparations, a
reaty predicated upon the assertion
hat a stricken and helpless world re-
luires our counsel and support but
caves to the beneficiaries the decision
IS to the measure and character of the
they are to receive; a
reaty that with aminous words pre-
ages our involvement in the erup-
ions of suppressed violence world con-
Iftions: a treaty that would require us
o underwrite all the regional under
landings between nations recognized
" the league, most Of which are based
Ipon oppression OF weaker nations
many of which are as yet secret and
ndisclosed. and when disclosed might /,
rive us to acts of injustice similar
o that in which the president felt
imself compelled to acquiesce in the |
ase OF Shantung." II
Senator Knox said a state of peace |