The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-03-15
CHANCE FADES
OF SEPARATE
PACT BY U. s.
Knox Reiterates Intention To
Introduce Resolution-Pas-
sage Unlikely Washington
May See New Farley.
WOULD PLEASE PUBLIC
BY MARK SULLIVAN

CARDS peace with Germany, the league
OF nations, and our foreign affairs
generally at time when on chapter
is about to close and another cannot
be opened until the senate meets
again in April
To the procession of reporters who
have entered his office during the
past week Senator Knox has said thai
he has not changed his position about
his resolution for a separate peace
with Germany. and that he still in
tends to introduce it in substa ntially
the same form in which he read it
to Mr.. Harding at Marion on January
l, and gave it to the public on the
same day.
But while Senator Knox's reitera-
ton has been consistent, it has been
apparent that there has been on his
part an increasing disposition to end
the interview with deprecatory
gesture meant to implay that "Of
course, l only speak for myself"
Speaks for Himself
II Senator Knox still expects to
bring about a separate peace with
Germany in the near future, he most
certainly does speak for himself
alone.
1t is true that one of the subtle as
poets Of Senator knox's move lies in
the fact that it is cast not in the
form of treaty, but in the form of a
resolution. 1t can, therefore, be
passed by a simple majority of the
senate and without a twothirds vote.
Also it is conceivable that if a sharp
issue should arise between the senate
and the president. Senator Knox might
command the following of enough SEN
ators to put his resolution through.
Rift Unlikely.
But the truth is no such rift on the
foreign policy is likely to arise be-
tween Harding and the senate, and
the project for a separate peace with
Germany is not likely to take on any
vitality, certainly not for a consider
able time, and not until several other
things have happened and some other
things have been attempted. For this
likelihood, while there are sevral reas-
ons, no better reason need be given
than, in the words of friend of the
administration, THE present psychol-
osy is not favorable 20 it"
So long as the amount of German
reparations and the other issues be-
tween Germany and the allies remain
undecided. movement toward sep
arate peace with Germany on our part
would have effects so obviously un-
favorable to the allies and to the sit.
uation of the world that it will be
avoided by general assent on the part
of both the senate and the admins
tration.
Nothing in Report.
tFor the same reason the pubic can
take it for granted that there is moth
ing in the report, recently emphasized
both abroad and at home that spe-
ciaI commission. representing the new
administration. is about to go to Eu-
rope under the leadership of Elihu
Root Previous to March 4, and es-
pecially during the campaign and
about the time of the election, there
was much talk of such a project, and
President Harding himself made al
lusions to it which might reasonably
have been interpreted as a vague eX-
preston of intention on his part.
But conditions have changed. What
is now more likely to happen is the
reverse.
In the course of time we are likely
to receive in Washington several in
dividuals and delegations represent
ing European nations, and possibly
a league 1t may readily happen dur
ing the course of the coming months
that Washington will be the scene of
conferences which, in their import
ance, will be only less spectacular
than the peace conference itself.
Washington Best Scene
II foreign diplomats in Washington
are as quick to grasp the atmosphere
of Washington as the newspaper men
are, they must have observed that in
the building of the new bridge be-
tween ourselves and our late allies it
is better that Washington should be
the loca ton of the conversations and
negotiations than that they should
take place on The scene where the
previous negotiations came TO such an
unhappy ending.
The public that needs to be con
verted TO any new association Of ma
tions and needs to be reassured by
watchful understanding Of the nego
tiations leading to such an associa
ton, is the American public.
Would AIlay Suspicious
The best way to allay the unfortun
ate suspicious that arose in America
over the secrecy and other aspects OF
the peace conference is TO hold the
rev negotiations in the plain view OF
the American people and accompanied
by the aerating processes of Ameri
can newspapers. processes which diff
fer greatly from what happened in
Paris
Moreover, the situation is now re
yersed from what it was at Paris.
1t takes temerity to name one thing
and say that one was the fundamental
mistake that Wilson made at Paris
One of Mr.. Wilson's associates on the
American delegation believes Will
cons fundamental mistake was his
falling for the European practice OF
secrecy.
Lost Advantage
Even more important than that
However, was the fact that Wilson
out of his eagerness and out of his
lack of skill as a trader, allowed the
others to manueuvre him into posi-
tion where he was begging Europe to
Continued on Page Three)