Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-12
PEACE RESOLUTION
DECLARED FUTILE
BY Mr.. HITCHCOCK
Nebraskan Launches Attack
on Knox Measure-Denies
1t Would Give Peace.

u WOul0 Tive Pedce.
democratic attack upon the repub.
lican peace resolution was launched
today by Senator Hitchcock OF Ne
braska. administration spokesman,
who declared in addressing the Senate
that the measure was futile and in
consistent and inimical to the treaty
Of Versailles
The mountain has labored and
brought forth a mouse" he said. The
peace resolution is before US. II is
not exactly stillborn. but it's feeble
character suggests a disturbed ges-
tation and dubious future
Great expectations for an act of
Congress that would force a peace
settlement are to be disappointed
High hopes that a resolution by Con-
gress could be made to perform the
functions of a peace treaty are aban-
doned. Instead OF a peace settlement
to be forced by resolution of man
datory requirements as the price or
severing commercial relations. We are
merely to repeal the war declara-
tion. declare the war at an end and
invite the President to negotiate q
separate peace"
Fifth Republican Oner.
Mr.. Hitchcock cited three similar
resolutions which. he said, had been
sponsored si1ce last November BY
Senator Lodge ,of Massa chusetts. the
republican leader. and Senator Knox
of Pennsylvania. author of the pend
ing resolution. The latter. Mr.. Hitch
cock said. is the fifth peace resolu-
tion offered by the republican leader
ship.
IN reaching this important con-
clusion" he said of the pending meas
ure, 1.-The supporters of the novel plan
have staggered from side to side over
zigzag course for nearly six
months,
Senator Hitchcock denied that Con-
gress has power to make peace, al
though it has authority to declare
war. The states voted unanimously
against giving Congress peace-mak-
ing jurisdiction he said.
Comedies Wars End.
Senator Knox's recent argument
that the war actually was at an end
was dismissed symmarily by Mr..
Hitchcock. who conceded the point
and asked:
"Then why this resolution Hos
tilities ceased eighteen mouths ago
i and our Army was promptly demo-
bilized and reduced to a peace basis.
| Since that time commerce has been
resumed. We have sold hundreds OF
millions Of dollars worth of products
| to Germany and purchased much from
her. The war which the senator from
| Pennsylvania proposes to end by this
i resolution does not. by his own ad-
mission exist. His able argument
and historical citations prove that It
! ended many months ago.
What. then. is the senator from
I n 10 finO IN n
measure, which he calls resolution
| to terminate the war? He is making
an utterly futile and hopeless attempt
| to make a peace settlement with Ger
many to take>the place of the Ver-
sai1les treaty"
The pending resolution. Mr.. Hitch
cock asserted, was chiefly the work
of Senator Knox. although it aban-
dons some of the proposals in his
earlier attempts at peace resolu-
ton"
Instead of declaring peace" he
said, "the Knox resolution declares
the war at an end. Thus we have
raised the interesting distinction be-
tween declaring peace and declaring
war at an end. What is the diner.
ence?"
Denounces Plan Adopted.
The peace resolution adopted by the
House last month was denounced 90.
peCtdlly NY I1ItCHCVCh uCNduSS W
it's proposals for an embargo against
Germany within forty-five days in
event of German objections to the
resolution and it's provision for re.
serving rights .under the treaty.
I'm the House resolution he said,
I'VE demand the benefits of the treaty
which we have refused to ratify."
Reviewing the course of other peace
resolutions, Mr. Hitchcock said pre-
vious resolution by Senator Knox
ha nd the San2fa dnnYs
step like it's predecessors"
But the effort to do something to
escape from the constitutional method
Of making peace was not abandoned.
he continued. Something had to be
DONE Intransigent statesmen who had
refused all efforts to reach an agree
ment or compromise on the peace treaty
felt the growing responsibility"
House republicans, MIR. Hitchcock
charged. were called into conferences
and the House action arranged. al
though he declared that the House
never had been permitted voice in
peace proceedings previously. Upon
receipt of the House resolution by the
Senate, however. Mr.. Hitchcock said,
there was a sudden change of plans
and the present resolution was draft
ed as a futile plan for republican in
dorSement.
Separate Treaty Proposal.
Senator Hitchcock fiayed especially
the resolution's request that the Pres
ident negotiate a separate treaty with
Germany.
only a few months ago" said Mr..
Hitchcock, ''the same senators who
now propose this request were violent
in condemning any such suggestion.
dent unite firmly with other nations
in making peace"
Referring to magazine article by
Senator Lodge in December, 1918. in
which Mr.. Lodge declared 1T would
brand us with everlasting dishonor
and bring ruin to us also if we un-
dertook to make a separate peace"
Senator Hitchcock continued. do the
of this request want to
brand us with dishonor and bring
ruin upon us?
In another provision of the reso-
luton it is stated that the United
States does not waive any of its
rights under the treaty it has reject
ed. Could anything be more ridicu-
lous than to assume and indicate that
we have any rights to waive after we
have refused to ratify the treaty
which grants them?
"Legislative Experimentation"
Altogether" said Mr.. Hitchcock in
the five desperate at
tempts to defy the Constitution and
substitute a resolution for treaty
make fine display of legislative ex-
"Resoived that the war has ended:
resolved that peace exists; resolved
that we force Germany to grant ua
what we might get il we signed the,
treaty; resolved that the President be
requested to negotiate a separate
peace; resolved that we will not give
up German property; resolved that
we will not waive any rights under
the treaty-one and all of them fool
ish and futile attempts to evade the
way of securing peace
hY ratifYinR the treaty NEGOTIATED in Z