Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-03-23
Wilson Won't Act
on Peace Treaty


cal gain would come from the passage
of resolution declaring the war ended
they would drop the project.
Indeed there Is fair prospect of it's
failing in any case. through inability of
the Republicans to agree upon the
wording Of the declaration. Nothing is
likely to be done in any event for two
or three weeks.
Mr.. Lodge is going away. The Re
publicans want to hear from the coun-
try on the project before taking steps.
a resolution which lessons the prospects
of our country's subsequently entering
the League Of Nations is politically
dangerous, and would not he agreed by
the mild reservationists. And n rcso-
luton that does any less than this would
not be acceptable to the bitter. enders.
The. difficulty of agreeing upon a reso-
luton and the case with which Presi-
dent Wilson can demonstrate its inef-
fectiveness in restoring legal state of
peace with Germany are likely to kill
the project.
Politically the Republicans have the
best of the situation as it stands. So
far rs subsequent moves are concerned
the advantage is with the President.
The Republicans probably cant agree
on any policy. And if they could il
would be of no practical utility.
Wilson Opposes Separate Peace
With regard to making separate
peace with Germany. President Will
sons position is supposed to be this
To negotiate treaty that would be
agreeable to the Senate would be to
desert the allies Of the United States in
the late war. IL would encourage Ger
many in its resistance TO the peace ne
gotiation at Paris. II would have a
tendency thus to divide Europe into
hostile camps. In other words. such n
policy instead Of promoting peace would
promote hostilities and add 10 the pros
poets of war in Europe.
To this reasoning there seems to be
no possible answer. Germany is already
resisting the peace. The real purpose
of the revolution in Germany has been
to overthrow the government which
signed the peace and seemed to be ready
to execute it. In this attitude Germany
has been encouraged by our failure
TO ratify the peace.
She would be considerably strength
ened in her resistance to the peace if
we should not only fail to ratify this
treaty but substitute another one for
it, IT would be formal notice to
Germany that We had dissociated our
selves permanently from the allies. so
far as enforcing the peace was con-
cerned.
To negotiate peace with Germany
exactly like the present treaty ex-
cept with the League Of Nations pro-
visions left out would be. even il the
Senate would accept il. an illogical and
senseless thing. The present treaty.
Mr.. Wilson's friends point out, was
built around the League of Nations.
For its enforcement it depends upon the
League of Nations
League Protects Small Nations
The small nations created by the
treaty could not exist without the pro-
lection of the League of Nations. The
boundary lines set up by the treaty
would not last decade without inter-
national organization
So, to negotiate peace exactly like
the present one, Mr.. Wilson's friends
say, would be to make peace without
any power of enforcing it. The United
States would have the responsibility of
participating in creating lot OF new
nations without giving them any as
surance of continued existence. II would
have deposited lot Of international
fOundlings in the lap Of Europe and
then gone home accepting no further
responsibility for their fate.