New-York tribune., 1920-10-24
Kahn Charges
World Turmoil
ToPeace Treaty
Says Instrument Plaques
Own Beneficiaries: Causes
Ill Feeling Among Those
Who Fought Together

The wrongs and faults Of the Peace
Treaty Of Versailles and that Of st.
Germain are more responsible than any
other factor, next to the war ITSELF
for the continuing turmoil Of the world;
asserts Otto H. Kahn in an article on
the League Of Nations.
"a strongly contributory element has
been the unprepare dness and painless
ness Of our government for those eco
nomic tasks which, with the cessation
Of the war, became incumbent upon us
for our own good and that Of other
people as the nation economically
most potential and politically most
disinterested." he says.
Mr.. Kahn declares that the treaty is
not reconcilable with good faith or
izing the high hopes of the world for
r peace worthy Of the spirit and as
pirations which animated America and
her allies duling the war. The instru-
ment has proved unenforceable, ne
says, and has come to plague Its own
benefciaries and cause discord and III
telling among those who had been
comrades in arms.
Liberal opinion in The Allied and
neutral countrles,' writes Mr.. Nshn,. "ls
unanimous in condemninG the YER
whom l had occasion to see during my
recent Journey in Europe there ~were
very few indeed, outside of Ihc immc-
djate circle Of its responsible authors,
who would deny It's gross f&ultincss.
The representatives Of the United
States should never have yielded to
that treaty. Their detached view ought
TO have shown them the profoundly
harmful consequences which we're
bound to flow from It, because It
failed in spirit and in letter 20 carry
out the pledges made by us to our own
and to the enemy people and the world
Al large.
at was in our power to secure a
treaty which would have complied with
the declarations solemnly made, which
would have betitted the spirit iM which
TIE war was fought to victory, and
which would have brought to the world
real peace, while preserving to the AL
lies the reparations and benefits Justly
due them.
"This, however, is closed chapter.
1t is not now possible for the United
States to reopen the conditions of the
treaty itself The force of the actu
alities Will attend to that, and that
force is at work already silently but
irrestistibly."
The League of Nations covenant, Mr..
Kahn declares, Was inserted in the
treaty at the insistence Of President
Wilson and against the opposition Of
those who drew the instrument. They
gave their consent to the insertion Of
the covenant III order to obtain his
acquiescence in the conditions imposed
in the treaty and to assuage his
scruples.
Provides for Political Dominion
The makers OF the treaty became
more and more reconciled to the cove
mont when they found that it could be
shaped largely as an instrument Of
political dominion containing no efFec
tive provision either as to dsarma
rnent or The freedom Of the seas. Their
support Of it became unanimous, Mr..
Kahn says, when Article X guaranteed
the cooperation Of the United States
in preserving the world forever the
way the treaty makers had arbitrarily
apportioned It.
ain the shape from which it emerged
from the deliberations Of Versailles
consider the League of Nations cove
uaNt as insincerc, ineffective, unsuitcd
to the universally desired aim Of pre-
serving peace and promoting interna~
tional Justice. 1t involves the United
Ste+es in Obligations which are un-
called for and entirely irreconcilable
with our traditions, institutions, aims
an ~ Is
Nothing that America fought for in
the late war. or prom sed. makes it in
cumbent upon us to entangle ourselves
in the agelong racial squabbles and
,ntrlgues of Europe ana Asia, or to
become the guardians and guaran>Ors
of an arbitrarily and artiticially re-
modelled world, put together in disye-
gard, more or less, of the evolution of
centuries and of the proven qualities
and characteristics of races, according
to the perceptions. predictions and |
IN secret conclave, far removed from
the informing and vitalizing currents !
OF public opinion, and not sufficiently |
removed always from considerations of |
domestic political expediency.
"Nothing that we fought for or
promised, makes it incumbent upon us !
TO lelinquish our fundamental national |
policies and traditions.
I'VE helped nightly to win the war. |
Alone among the victors we asked for
none Of the spoils though, it seems
10 me. We might well and Justly have
claimed a share in the distribution of |
those islands in the Paciti. formerly |
owned by Germany. which arc Of stra-
tsgic Importance to America). We
sought no gain in return for what we
freely gave in men, in money and in |
effort. We obtained no material ad-
vantage. Surely we are not Justly
called upon to set Americas signature
TO an instrument that would leave us
poorer IN those intangible national as
sets which we have jcalously guarded
heretofore and which we rightly prize.
Il believe that our participation in
the league as now constituted, with its
inc lasticity and cumbersome machinery,
It's infinite complexity and sll-embrac-
ing scope, its rigid formula and metic-
nlous provisions, instead Of promoting
harmony and good will, would be apt
rather to breed misunderstanding, irri-
-ation and i'll feeling.
Il am, of course, cordially In favor
of any wise and fitting pact to preserve
he peace OF the world I am in favor
# America taking her full share in the
burden of that responsibility which
'ightfully goes with power. But after
nature consideration and much discus
ion OF the question with both friends
nd opponents of the instrument. here
nd abroad. am bound to agree wholly
'ith Senator Harding's position as out
med in his speech of August 2S and
urther elaborated in his Des Mo;,a.