Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-30
KNOX DENOUNCEs TREATY
AS BEING HARD AND CRUEL
Declares America Should Refuse To
BE Party To Alleged Oppressive
Compact.
MEANS MORE FLOODS HE'D
Pennsylvania Makes Plea for Ger
S-t many. Saying United States Should
- BE No GuarantOr of Enforcement
of Harsh Conditions.

enforced but viii lay tho foundation
FOR centuries OF blood letting" Scna-
tor Knox, Of Pennsylvania. a Heruhli-
can member Of the Foreign Relations
Committee. and former Secretary OF
state. told the Senate today that the
United states should decline 10 become
party TO the settlement effected At
Versailles and should negotiate
separate peace with Germany.
In it's hard and cruel terms. he
asserted the treaty imposed on Ger
MANY penalties which violate inter
national Law and encendcr strife. He
declared there WAS no reason why the
United states should project itself
into the dangers OF such a situation.
The more / consider this treaty"
WINGED that the only safe way for us
10 deal with il is to decline TO he
party TO II at all
should Rcnouncc All Claims.
II think We should rcuouncc in favor
~ Germany any and all claims for
indemnity because OF the war and see
that She gets credit for what We re-
nouncc We ought 10 renouncc all par
sions. committees. boards or otherwise
provided for in tho treaty in aid Of
its execution. 20 which by it's terms.
we are parties. We ought not 10 accept
cessions Of German territory We
ought to declare a general policy 10
regard with concern any threat OF dis
d turbance OF general world peace. but
at the same time we should reserve
complete liberty OF action either indie
pendently or in conjunction with other
powers in taking such steps as we de-
termine wise for preserving the peace.
We ought then TO carry out The
spirit OF the act OF 1915. which author
ICED The President 10 convene the ma
tons of the world together TO estab-
lish a code of international law. re-
duce ornaments. TO establish in
tcrnational tribunal and go as far as
peace through justice, through 4 league
to which all the world are parties
in its formation.
Would BE n DiEnihcd Exit.
This would be fitting. generous
in which, primarily. We had no direct
concern.
1T is indeed hard and cruel
| have no objections to its being SO.
hut sec no reason why we. who do
not par;ake in its spells. should be
come parties to its harshness and
cruelty.
Il see no reason Why we should be
parties to imposing upon Germany a
treaty whose terms. our negotiators
say. She Will not be able TO meet; "A
treaty that robs our ancient friend,
China, in way dsapproved by our
ncEotiators; treaty that lays the
foundation for centuries of blood let
ting, into which we should not he
drawn; treaty that contrary TO our
own judgment. fails 10 fix the amount
Of indemnity To hc paid leaving that
lily OF commission ON separations /,
treaty prcdicatcd upon the assertion
= ifat a stricken and helpless world re-
Luircs our counsel and support. hut
leaves 10 the bcncEciaricS the dcci
sion as 10 the measure and character
of the bcncfactions they are To re-
ccINc: treaty that with ominouS
WORDS. prcsaScs our involvement IN the
eruptions of suppressed volcanic world
conditions: treaty that would re-
uuirc us to undcrwritc all the re { ional
understandings between nations rccoc-
nized by the league. most Of which are
based upon oppression of weaker
nations. many OF which are AS yet
secret and undisc!osed, and when dis
closed Nigh; drive US 10 acts of in
Justice simila 10 that IN which the
President felt himself compelled TO
acquicsce in the case Of Shantunr,"
should Make Own Peace status.
senator Knox said state OF peace
actually would be established in the
world as soon as three oil the great
powers had ratned the treaty, and
that the United states should make
s ns1 Gws peaca sintgs SompG,e by
Declaring the Foreign Relations
Committee had tried in vain TO gel;
the Senator said The people at last We're
waking 10 the true issue as the facts
about tbs Versailles negotiations
SLiftle BY .lf'?.e." 'hc continued.
they are hrinElnG a diyulgencc OF the
Facts connected with the treaty and
;
Whole OF the great Gaunt tragedy into
which those whom they had charged
Win protecting them were about TO
VIVA; is it about these things that
ne people cannot know? What is
there to hide from thcm, Mus; We.
+ lake TINS ininE. as the German people
must take II, unsight and unseen: Are
w. 70 ne no more advantaGod than our
Quit war ne We Entered.
Quoting President Wilson'S dcclara
IONS IN 1911 that the purpose OF The
United states in tn" war Was TO Over
,hrow German autocraiic power and
ave the German people free In
use iheir own way OF life" tho
Sdld that with the signing az
sue" we had achieved tho
pose for which Nc entered the
ana should have 'qu!; Tho var
as =. entered II. SIN free and indr-
pendent, masters OF our own destiny p,
HrIt-'or hnoN paid "a tribute to the
81 ff'Ft &c rnnaeTed ne na,ion by citizens
gladly he said in tho hope tina, incl,
,,nSrne. IN germany would benefit IT,
~ All mo iahS,ead' he said, peace con.
German peopl" never could fuInu
EALING attention ina; Russia WAS no,
,l..uc"a Ih IN" peace settlement n,
"Thlns ypr GERMANY smar,lnr an,
sIatEerlnS under IN" terms or TIL,
tItat} VIII suplnclv rest content v,fti
,,'rc Nouchsaiits her Inc c-umhs from
~ N'cthrS la04" Thai pInnlc u.t'
no NOR. cease TO plot aud pl,n "a re-
cover their former nigh cs,a,o ~ y,
9ld satan plunged into In. abvsr,n,'
fepths ~ holl Whcthcr me- -, IN" ..
ne league. Il formed or on. - :,
''erHsnNs agents Scc-c,ly ar ,,.,i'
VII he A. worh with her forr,o, iIas
Ghn WIN Injured Russia ana v.in
Japan As Russia goes 80 NH r, -,
Whpie SLAVE and affiliated raopl. 49,,
Germany succeed iu ;I.fs Wosicr
NHn.oH" AT least. mus, perish D,
.--- Declares 81 Fiv--Powcr t,Ij.n,.
,.S'fIrp"d of us idtalisfic I,hrasrs \,
Knox said The t-eaiv really Vas nm
a.l.anc, among I'VE rrca, power,
against WON GERMANY would I'M =,
!rlnG stronger alliance yha
interest Of France he said Gas
Gaining tho friendship ana no, ~
cnmltF Of ~" German neoplc
The instrument before us ). NO cal,
rs rot the treaty. hut ,hc truce a
1T takes Germany's ,cr-i,orv ~,
r"neah ard foreign, without comner
sation; II takes from her practica II
all Of her. ocean shipping ana larr
portion Of her inland vessels. 4, =.
Drives her Of I'll special benefits ,
treaties and conventions II takes liz
cables: II compcls her 10 supply laru
Quantities Of raw material: 1T into,