New-York tribune., 1920-05-06
Knox Charges
President Uses
Peace as Club
Wilson Keeps Nation at
War to Force Senate to
Ratify Treaty, Asserts
Pennsylvania Senator
Urges O1tlawing of War
Pities Man Fallen i'm Pop
ular Esteem, He Says;
Would End Drastic Power

WASHINGTON. May 5.-Considera-
tion OF the Republican resolution to
establish peace was begun in the SEN
ate to-day, when Senator Knox, of
Pennsylvania, author of the resolution,
in an address opening the fight for
passage of the measure, declared that
President Wilson was arbitrarily main
tanning state of war in order to force
the Senate to ratify the Treaty of Yer
sailles.
Senator Knox urged that an interna-
tlonaI court be convened for the pur-
pose of adjusting the peace settlement,
and that the United States take the
initiative in calling conference of
nations for the "codification of inter-
national law, the establishment Of a
court of international justice and the
outlaWry of war"
The reservations to the Versailles
treaty adopted by the Senate would
not "Americanize" the treaty, Senator
Knox declared. He said that peace
actually exists, and, in an exhaustive
address, sought to show that Congress
has the right to repeal its own acts.
When Senator Knox concluded the
Senate took up other business There
supporters of the resolution to keep it
before the Senate until final vote is
had Senator Lodge, chairman of the
Foreign Relations Committee, plans to
call it up during the morning hour
until after the principal addresses on
the subject have been concluded. He
will then keep it before the Senate for
general discussion. A vote is expected
to be reached before the end of next
week. Senator McCumber, OF North
Dakota, the only Republican who is
opposed to the resolution, will speak
against the measure tomorrow
There was no excuse whatsoever
for greatly prolonging the war beyond
tor Knox said in his speech, "and the
only explanation for so doing was the
deliberate aim to retain all 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 pur-
poses.
"The welfare and safety of the nation
imperatiVely demand that we know We
have peace. The whole world seethes
with revolution. Our own nation is in
ferment and toll. Force and strife are
rampant and threaten the destruction
nv Oi1y VI Oui PAOPSA " oNo VI WA
free institutions and even of our lives
And yet we stand, and have stood for
months, as rudderless ship, founder
ing in the trough of tremendous seas.
eve must not dare longer to delay a
return to the order of government of
peace; we must not hazard a further
pcstponement in turning our undivided
deliberations TO our home problems
They are great enough to tax the ut
most wisdom which we possess. AS q
preliminary step, the Executive must
be returned to his peacetime powers
and prerogatives. Need, propriety, wis
dom, cannot question this"
Declaring that he entertained only
sympathy for the President in his i'll
ness and sympathy for the country
which must suffer under him because
of it, Senator Knox said it was an un-
welcome task "to judge one who has
fallen in public esteem" He added
however, that when danger threatened
the nation it must be met forefronted
and that "he who ventured to intervene
against the safe and wise course must
slep aside or be crushed.
"The course of the President ever
since he cruised to Europe to partici'
pate in the peace conference" con-
tinued the former Secretary of State
weaves no chance for doubt that he will
continue, hereafter as heretofore, to
CONTINUED page six)