New-York tribune., 1919-12-21

tnat while the Underwood motion for
committee of ten Senators to work
OUT compromise may not be adonted
an agreement nevertheless will he
worked out early in January. and the
tFsety will be ratified then on the basis
OF tfat understanding.
II Is known to the Senators that
great Britain and France will accent
the Lodge reservations them selves.
would be reasonab Y certain to accent
any modification of those reservations
1T is. pointed out. however. that this
was known to the President probably
before it was known to the Senate
ara fhe~"fore may have no effect on
his position. ""
1t is the general belief, however
snat y compromise is reached and
sixty-four Senator's vote to ratifv tho
treaty and the reservations agreed
upon the President will not accent
the responsibility for pieeonholiny L
a. urder the constitution he haa =
right to do If he chooses.
Knox Exrloins Resolution
Senator Know m"de the following
statement in defense Of the peacc reso-
luton:
The whole purpose of the resolution
IS to break the deadlock between those
who will not consent to the rattle otion
OF the treaty without Americanizinp
reservations and those who insist that
not an Y shall be dotted or tt
crossed in its text.
1T purposes to effect an absolute
and unqualified termination of the war
between the United States and Ger.
many coincidently with it's termination
between Germany and the other be1lig-
erent powers.
1T provides that Germany shall con-
cede to the United States and it's citi-
zens all the rights and advantages it
or they were gwen under the Treaty of
Versailles to which Germany already
has assented.
ut provides that unless Germany
shall confirm those rights and advan-
tages the President may prohbt in
tercourse between the two countries.
ut reaffirms the American policy of
seeking to avoid war by an agreement
between the nations for the judicial de-
termination Of international differ
ences
Its passage will in no way interfere
with the subsequent ratification of the
Treaty OF Vers lilies at any time or upon
any terms that twothirds of the SEN
ate may decide upon and the President
accept. In the meanwhile. however,
it will give us peace and such rights
and advantages as have already been
agreed to by the negotiators of the |
suspended treaty"
Hitchcock Opposes 1t
Senator Hitchcock, criticizng the !
resolution, said:
"The Knox resolution is another of
the highly interesting efforts made by
the Senator from Pennsylvania to pre-
vent the United States from joining
the league of nations. To bring that
about he and the committee controlled
by enemies of the league VIII do or
attempt anything. The present effort
proposes to reach state of peace by
repeal of the declaration of war
year after the war is over and after
other nations have ratified the terms
OF peace. 1t then proposes that the
United States, while Sinking all obli-
cations of the treaty, shall demand of
Germany all benefits of the treaty
under threat that if they are not con
ceded and guaranteed the President
shall prohibit all CONNIE rcal intel
course with Germany and Germans and
all credits or supplies.
Such preposterous resolution cay-
not pass. If it should pass the Pres-
dent could not give it his approval. If
he give it his approval Germany would
not accept its terms, nor would any
President adopt such a disastrous
course as to deprive American export
ers of the opportunity of doing bust
ness with Germany. Such action would
turn over to other nations the Ger
man trade which America is entitled
to. Uncle Sam will not bite off his
nose to spite his face. Congress has
no power to declare peace That is
necessarily a matter of negotiation.
"The Constitutional Convention of
1887 decided that by an almost unani-
nous vote when it refused to Congress
.he power to declare pc -. and placed
in the hands of the President and Sen
ate the authority to make treaties.
Senator KnoX's resolution is like the
other resolutions, a futile attempt to
evade and avoid ratification. Inexor-
Rble necessity calls for ratifcation."