New-York tribune., 1919-08-19
Amending the Treaty

should the treaty be amended to pro-
vide, so far as this country is con-
cerned, that Germany is to surrender
to China and not to Japan the rights, or
alleged rights, which Germany held she
formerly possessed in Shantung?
Germany has ratified the treaty as
drawn at Paris, including the provision
that Germany's Shantung titles should
go to Japan. Great Britain has similarly
ratified the treaty without change
France, Japan and probably Italy are
soon to ratify.
The treaty says that when it is rati-
fed by Germany and by three other
of the Allied and associated powers, it
shall at once go into effect so far as
Germany and the ratifers are con-
cerned.
Within a short time, then, the trans
fer Of Germany's Shantung titles will
be an accomplished fact. Germany will
be out of Shantung and Japan in, not
merely on paper, but in fact
Then along would come the United
States with a document saying she does
not agree to the transfer to Japan.
What could Germany do? Obviously she
could not make and carry into effect
transfer to Japan and at the same time
make and carry into effect an agree
ment with the United States to trans
fer to China. This would be manifest
absurdity. Germany can transfer to
Japan, or she can transfer to China,
but not to both.
So the picture of American statesmen
going to Weimar, hat in hand, begging
Germany to transfer to China, is an
absurdity, Long before the mission
would arrive the treaty, as an interna-
tional document, would be in effect. And
it is beyond the wit of man to devise
any scheme or arrangement by which
Shantung shall go to China and to
Japan at the same moment. And mas
much as the transfer to Japan will be
achieved before our proposal reaches
Wemar, it is not difficult to predict
which provision will have actuality.
What, then, will be the practical effect
of the amendment? 1t will have none
in Germany. 1t will be nothing more
than our protest against the transfer
a declaration that we do not approve of
it. If there is any act it must be in
the direction of prying Japan out or
Shantung, not Germany The German
claim will be non-eXistent
So as to the other provisions Of the
,,,l; III,
apparently boggled. 1t will not be pos
sible for Germany to haggle with US,
for we ask nothing special from Ger
many. And so far as her obligations
run to other nations they will be in
full effect.
1t is necessary to remember that the
treaty is a general affair, not merely an
agreement between Germany and the
United States, and that Germany can
not modify the terms to which she has
already agreed with others. Thus she
has nothing to trade US and cannot Sc
cure any general rewriting of the treaty.
With respect to reservations and
amendments all we can do is to control
our own action. We can say that we
interpret the language of the treaty in
specified ways, and the specifications
will thus acquit US of breach of faith
should our interpretations differ at some
future time from those of other nations.
And we can make amendments which
have similar moral effect. But as to
the going into effect of the treaty as
a whole--this does not rest with US The
treaty becomes a reality when two more
major powers ratify. And if it goes
into effect with respect to Germany and
the other powers, it necessarily goes
into effect in a practical way with re-
spect to our country.
Thus there can be no question of
going hat in hand to Germany in sup
plcation. TO intimate such shame
threatens us is to give birth to blatant
nonsense born of baffled partisanship.
The only question before Washington is
as to what obligations we shall assume
and what provisions of the treaty we
acquiesce in. Reparations, cessons, dis
armament-all of these things will be
secure as soon as two more nations adj
here to the treaty.
Are People Beetles?