The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-19
Should the Treaty With Germany
Be Ratified Without Change?

We take it for granted that thinking men are today united
generally on the wisdom of a league of nations, and we all
ratfy it without question, or are we, as intelligent citizens OF
a free county to scan it with our eyes wide open and know
before we act just what 1t all means?
Is it better to take a bad treaty, or finding it bad, would it
be best to try to make it better?
Do we know what is in the treaty. If not, are we to
accept it blindfolded?
The fact is that five treaties have been negotiated by Pres
them has by him been submitted to the United States senate,
which must by a t~wo-thirds vote ratify them if they are to
stand. Even the senate, therefore, does not know what it is
asked to sanction.
For weeks and months President Wilson played a lone
hand. He might have had the help of the senate. The con-
stitution provides that the president shall make treaties by
and with the consent of the senate" One of President Wilson's
IA points was open covenants, openly arrived at but there
could not have been greater secrecy observed than by himself
toward the senate and the people of the United States, by
whose authority he was acting, And we are still in the dark,
Had he beer. able, single-handed and alone, to force his
IA points into the treaty, there might be some reason in the
his confidence till it was all over. Even then such help as he
might have had from the senate could have been of inestimable
value to the nation. But the terms of the one treaty which
the senate has been permitted to see have obviously not been
dictated by President Wilson, or in accord with the IA points.
They do conform with the secret treaties entered into by the
European nations and Japan before the United States entered
the war.
Not justice, but secret treaties, governed the terms of the
treaty we have been permitted to see, Have we reason to
suppose that the other three or four treaties which are still
ice? ~" '' ''HN'' ""N '"' HN'''" ~ D"D' III 10
around a billion dollars of German property and other
separations is the sweet little morsel held out to bait the
United States. Is this what we fought for2 And what about
the other nations? BY secret treaty between Great Britain,
France, Russia and Italy, of April 26, 1915, Italy was to re-
ceive parts of Austria, the Trentino, Southern Tyrol. Trieste,
etc.; the lstrian Islands, the Province of Dalmatia, ETC.. and
parts of Turkey and Africa. Was it for these she entered
the war? And have they been yielded to her by the five
treaties? Should the United States become a party to this?
Rumania was promised a slice of Austria about equal to
her present area. Was it for this she entered the war on the
side of the Allies? And should the United States become a
party to this?
France is to have Alsace-Lorraipo, the Saar Basin and Sec
tons of Africa. Should the United States become a party to
this?
Greece and Serbia are to get slices of Bulgaria. Should
the United States become a party to this?
Turkey is to be carved up and various sections given to
Greece, Italy, France and Great Britain. Should the United
States become a party to this?
Japan gets shantung. Should the United States become
a party to this?
Great Britain gets Egypt, the Anglo Egyptian Soudan, the
German colonies in Africa, German East Africa, German South
west Africa, the German Samoan Islands, the Pleasant Islands,
Kamerun, Togo, Mesopotamia, Palestine, part of Syria, Cyprus,
etc.
Afghanistan, Persia and Tibet fall to the Lions share.
Otherwise Great Britain gets a world monopoly of the trade
routes by land and sea, of raw material and of markets.
Great Britains territorial gain from the war is a territory
or S,972,OOO square miles narea, which is greater than the
United States, including Alaska and all our possessions. Should
the United States become a party to this ?
All this we know and the treaty guarantees. How much
is still concealed in the treaties which have been negotiated
1 9@ w?