The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-08-30
KNOX ADVOCATES
SEP PARATE PEACE
WITH GERMANY
DECLARES IN SENATE SPEECH
THAT PRESENT TREATY Is
HARD AND CRUEL"
HOLDS HUNS M|STREAT TED
Former Secretary OF State Takes the
Radical Ground That United States
Should Not BE n Party to Versailles
Pact at Allie Foresees Centuries
Of Blood.Letting" II Treaty Is Rati'
fled.

fled.
Washington, Aug. 29.-Declaring that
the peace treaty cannot be enforced, but
will lay the foundation for centuries
OF blood letting" Senator Knox of Penn
sylvania, republican member of the
foreign relations committee and former
secretary of state told the senate today
that the United States should decline
to become a party 10 the settlement eff
fected at Versailles and should negoti-
ate separate peace with Germany. In
its hard and cruel" terms. he asserted,
the treaty imposed on Germany penal
ties which violate international law and
engender strife. He declared there was
no reason why the United states should
project itself into the dangers OF such 4
situation.
The more | consider this treaty"
said Mr.. Knox, "the more | am con
WINGED that the only safe way for us
TO deal with it is 10 decline to be a
party TO il at all.
Il think we should renounce in favor
of Germany all claims for indemnity
because of the war and see that she gets
credit for what we renounce. We ought
TO renounce all participation of member
ship in commissions, committees, boards
or otherwise, provided for in the treaty
in aid of its execution, to which by its
terms we are parties. We ought to de
clare a general policy to regard with
concern any threat of disturbance of
general world peace. but at the same
time we should reserve complete lib
erty of action, either independently or
in conjunction with other powers, in
taking such steps as we determine wise
for preserving the peace.
I'VE ought then to carry out the spir
II of the act of 1916. which authorized
the president to convene the nations
of the world together TO establish a
code of international law. reduce arma-
ments, TO establish an international tri-
bunal and go as far as possible in the
direction of securing peace and justice
through a league to which all the world
are parties in its formation. This would
be q fitting, generous and dignified exit
from situation in which primarily we
had no direct concern.
"a Hard and Crue! Peace" |
1T is indeed hard and cruel peace
that this treaty stipuates and I have |
no objection to its being so, but see no
reason why we who do not partake in |
its spois should become parties to its i'm
posing 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 a way dis
approved by our negotiators: a treaty |
that lays the foundation for centuries
of blood letting into which she should
not be drawn; a treaty that, contrary
10 our own judgment. fails to fix the
amount of indemnity to be paid. leav
ing that vast question to the whim of a
of a commission on repara-
tions;a treaty predicated upon the as
sertion that a stricken and helpless
world requires our counsel and sup
port, but leaves to the benefciaries the
decision as to the measure and charac.
ter of the benefactions they are to re-
ceve; a treaty that with ominous words
presages our involvement in the erup.
tions of suppressed volcanic world con
litions: a treaty that would require us
to underwrite all the regional under
standings between nations recognized by
the League of Nations, most of which
are based on oppression of weak ma
lions, many of which are as yet secret
and undisclosed and when disclosed
night drive us to acts of injustice sim
lar to that in which the president felt
himself compelled to acquiesce in the
'ase of Shantung."
Senator Knox said a state of peace
actually would be established in the
world as soon as three of the great
powers had ratified the treaty, and ;
hat the United States should make her
,wn peace status complete by a con.
resolution of congress.
Declaring that the foreign relations
committee had tried in vain to get
data relating to the treaty, I
he senator said the people at last Were I
waking to the true issue. /
Charges "Betrayel' BY Delegates
Little by little" he continued, they
ire bringing a divugence of the facts
with the treaty and they
nay now hope finally to see the whole ..
4 the great guant tragedy into those
ng them were about to hetray them. Z
What is it about these things that
he people cannot know? What is 5
here to hide from them? Must we
axe this thing, as the German people
must take it. 'unsight and unseen?
Are we to be no more advantaged
han our fallen enemies?"
Quoting President Wilson's declara-
ion in 1917 that the purpose of the
United States in the war was to over e
brow German autocratic power and Il
rave the German people free to
choose their own ways of life" the D
enator said that with the signing of u
he armistice, we had achieved the fun II
urpose for which we entered the war;" g
nd should have quit the war as we
ntered it, still free and independent. o'
masters of our own destiny" s.
Weeps For Fatheriand - :,
Senator Knox paid tribute to the
ervice rendered the nation by the Sc
tizens of German ancestry, who n
,ught gladly, he said, in the hope e.
fCoptinued on mage 2l "a,