Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-06
SLURS AT ILLNESS
OF THE PRESIDENT
"sympathizes With Him and
With the Country Suffering
Under Him."
TO STRIP HIM OF POWER
Offers World "seething With
Revolution" an "Understand-
ing" Between Nations.
LBy Assoeiat.a rres. l

Knox. Of Pennsylvania. today. openc,
the Republican fight inithe Senate To-
peace. Urging adoption or his resoIu
ton repeating the declaration of wa,
against Germany and Austria. IN.
former Secretary OF State smoke IN,
an hour and a half TO a crowdc,
chamber.
The peace resolution. which Sen.
ate Republicans propose to substitute
Tor the House measure decIarinr
peace with Germany alone. was moi
formally brought before the Senate
ana after Mr.. Knox's address. other
business was taken UP.
with a veto OF the peace resolu.
'ion by Prcsldcn, Wilson predict ed
by both Republican and Democra
leaders, dcsultory procedure with the
measure tx in prospect.
Inc republicans do not plan To call
UP the resolution until late next
week, and Senator Hitchcock. of
Nebraska, administration spokesman.
VIII defer his remarks until TINT
Time. Senatoy McCumber. OF North
dakota. Republican member OF the
ForeiIn Reiations Committee. plans
10 SPEAK soon. however. in opposition.
charges Wilson With Coercion.
senator Knox charged President
wilson with contending arbitrarily
That the nation still was at war and
with denying pence to America in or
der to coercc the Senate into ratlfy.
ing without change the treaty OF Yer
saiiies The Senator declared that
peace. legally as well as actually. now
existed nrd that the proposed sens~-
resolution, was needed to End pa
per- war s,atus and 10 strip the
President qf war powers.
Reafiirning his opposition to tho
league Of nationh, even with the SEN
ate reservations. Senator Knox ad-
tocated an Understanding" between
the powers to outlaw war and cstab-
lish world court. He niso urged
negotiation of supplemental treaty
with Germany TO provide separate
reciprocal rights and obligations"
There was no excuse whatsoever
for greatly prolonging the war he
yond the signature of the armistice,"
Senator Knox said. "and the only ex-
planation for so doing was the de-
libcrate aim TO retain nli those auto
cratic compulsory powers with which
the executive had been endowed for
the prosecution OF the war In order
that they might be used for other
purposes.
Seething with Revolution.
"The welfare pnd safety Of the ma :
tion imperative1y demands that we
have peace. The whole world seeths
with revolution. Our own nation is
In ferment and toll. Force and strife
are rampant and threaten the de-
struction not only Of our property,
but OF our free institutions and even
our lives. And yet, we stand, and
have stood for months. as a ruddcr-
less ship. laundering In the trough
OF tremendous seas
: I'VE must not dare longer to delay
return to the order OF government,
OF peace: we must not hazard a
further postponement in turning OUT
undivided deliberations to our home
problems. They are great enough Il
tax the utmost wisdom which we pos
sess. AS preliminary step. the
executive must be returned TO hi:
reace- time powers and prerogatives
Need. propriety. wisdom. cannot 1ues
ton this"
Declaring that he entertained only
sympathy for the President in his i'll
ness and sympathy for the countr,
which must suffer under him be
cause of it," Senator Knox said 4
was an unwelcome task ito judge or,
who has fallen in public esteem" II,
added, however. that when DANCE,
Threatened tho nation II must he me
forefronted and that 'he who ven
tured to intervene against the saf
and wise course must step aside o
be crushed"
n praciIlnt
since he cruiscd 10 Europe TO pnrtici
pate in the peace conference, con
tinued the former Secretary OF State
leaves no chance for dou!s that h.
will continue hereafter as heretofore
Ito thwart. so far as he is able, ever,
attempt on the part Of the Senate. tn
Congress or the people to take any &c
tion Immediately or remote. affectini
in however slight degree. through
change or modification. the provision
of the treaty of Versailles as 1t cam
to us fresh from his signature
Reiterating opposition to the treat
OF Versailles. Senator Knox said |
was almost universally discredite
and that the Senate reservations di
not Amerieanize tho league of nation.
hnt merely made II safer for Americ
TO join. The league. he added, "prom
ises little but mischief unless recas
on such radical lines as will entirel
obliterate it's identity"
Instead OF q league he urged "a
arrangement for the codincation @
international law, the establishment
OF court of International Justice an
q the out!awry of war"
Senator Knox said that althoug
America probably would secure prac
tically all 1t desires from. German
without ratifying the treaty OF Ver
saiiles, supplemental treaty wit
Germany should be concluded.