The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-05-11
PEACE MEASURE
CALLED Up AND
DEBATE RESUMED
Senator MCCumber Opens
Fight on Resolution Which
Lodge Declares He Will
Keep Before Senate.


WASHINGTON, May l1.-Opening
the fight against the Republican plan
to end the state OF war by Joint reso-
luton of congress, Senator McCumbCr.
OF North Dakota, a Republican member
OF the senate foreign relations commit =
tee, declared In the senate today that
such a step would bring dishonor upon
the nation, as 1t would involve desertion
OF America S associates In the war. The
senator said he would support neither
the house peace resolution nor the
substitute of Senator Knox Republican,
Pennsylvania He advocated instead
his resolution proposing restoration OF
commercial relations with Germany, but
said he realized that 1t would be use
less TO press this measure, where the
lines of division between the two fac
lions In this body have been Cemented
by partisanship and set and hardened
by time"
THE majority Of this side Of the
chamber" he declared, purpose to
force acceptance OF the reservations
adopted by the senate without tbs
| change of single word or letter
THE majority nn the other side, II
obedience TO the VIII of the president
have resolved to make the league OF ma.
tions political issue
This administration has made many
mistakes, but all will become insignfi-
cant compared with the colossal blunder
of making the presidents individual
and autoCratic stand on the league OF
nations a political issue.
IF this were the only issue the pres
!dent would stand alone in his determi =
nation to subvert the will Of the nation
to his individual conviction on this i'm =
portant national question and his sup
port would be confined to those few
states where reverence for Democratic
doctrines declared by the head of that
party becomes a religious tenet.
But you can not make the league of
nations the real issue in this Campa ign.
II If were the real and only issue |
would be greatly concerned for the sue
cess Of my own party.
The thought of the people of this
country is engrossed with the complex
ities that surround us, We are this
moment surrounded by a thousand i'm
minent dangers demanding our imme =
diate attention and solution We stand
almost helpless while debts, national,
state, municipal and industrial, are pill
ing mountain high. We behold the
hours of idleness of our people ever
increasing, production dangerously de-
Creasing. currency becoming more and
ever growing more greater and more
calling. and the prices Of all nccessi-
ties OF life ever advancing We are liv-
ing in the midst OF strikes and threats
OF strikes,
THE vcrX atmosphere is poisoned
WIN fNbtid llHlll lliftllpuS hltdlIls Wnllt
anarchy, fcVered by hate and envy,
awaits only the opportunity to work
a reign Of he'll which today is consum
ing agonized Russia
The war is not the cause Of this
threatening situation The American
people, like the people of the greater
part ~ Europe, today are the victims
Of the new system Of purchasing po-
lltical support by enactIng purely class
legislation.
The American people are not blind
as to the source Of our troubles They
are looking for relief"
Senator MCCumber challenged many
Of the contentious of Senator Knox
made In the former secretary OF state s
opening address last week in support
Of the resolution. While agreeing that
congress has the power to repeal reso-
lutiOEs declaring state OF war he de-
MED vigorously that peace actually ex-
listed. Only by a treaty. hc said. can
questions arising from the war be set
tied.
Senator McCumber said the peace
resolution would effeCtuatc Senator
Knox's purpose Of separating the league
Of nations covenant from the treaty
Of Versailles
There are others" he continued
who see a political advantage in pass
ing a resolution they all know viii be
yetoed by the president. They say IL
viii put him in a hole Without pass
ing on the propriety OF such a purpose
one may be justified in asking; why
waste all this umc and energy in at
tempting TO deepen the already bottom
lcee hOlen'
Many great questions arising from
tho war, including German property
and American claims would be left un-
Settled hv a declaration OF peace. SEN
Htor Mrrumhcr declared. insisting that
AD1Prifa should gfun1 hts k. unt O..
enforcing tn" armistice and tho. treaty
Tho resolution was called up In the
senate by Senator Lodge, Of Massa =
chusetts. the Republican leader, who
announced he would keep the measure
continuously before the senate until a