The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-08-29
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.
Conyright 1921


WASHINGTON, Aug. 29.-There is
no conceaIment here of the disappoint-
ment of allied diplomats in the new
peace treaty signed by the United
States and Germany. The allies had
been hoping to the last that the United
States would stand by her first signature
on the Versailles treaty. and thus pre-
serve the association which began in
1917. The European governments were
prepared to agree to any reservations
to the Versailles pact which the Ameri-
can government might have proposed.
They wanted Americas signature on the
treaty of Versailles chiefly for moral eff
feet.
OF course. diplomats do not discuss
American domestic politics for publca-
ton. but they arc quite aware that the
factional dispute in the American sen
ate furnished the underlying reason for
the making of a separate peace with
Germany. 1t was a case of preserving
harmony in the Republican party or dis
appointing the allied governments, and
the Harding administration felt that it
was more important to appease the do
nestle situation than to please Europe
Politics Versus Public Opinion.
On many an occasion the European
governments themselves have set a pre-
cedent in attaching more weight to their
own public opinion and domestic poll
tics than international welfare. One OF
the So-called big secrets of the Paris
peace conference was the inner reason
for the failure of that conference to nix
the size of the German indemnity. and
it was later acknowledged that because
Prime Minister Lloyd George had made
an extravagant election promise, the
peace conference agreed with the argu-
ment of the British prime minister that
his own political fortunes would suffer
if the indemnity were definitely tlxed
But. leaving aside the considerations
of domestic politics, which caused both
President Harding and Secretary
Hughes to abandon their first idea OF
engaging under the existing treaty of
Versailles. there are in allied circles
many who predict that America has not
safeguarded her rights from n legal
standpoint and that while the allies are
disposed at this time to interpOSe no OBJ
lection to the American course of ac-
ton, the chances are that the indirect
method by which the United States has
made peace with Germany Will furnish
plenty of legal controversy in future
years. The allies. of course. owe the
United States a good deal of money. and
are not likely in the immediate future
to engage in serious controversy over
legal questions, but it is admitted that
the European governments may some
day question the validity of those rights
which the United States has endeaVored
to acquire by a separate treaty with
Germany.
The line of thought of those who CON
tend that the new treaty. does not safe
guard Americas rights is that in the
preamble America formally announced
to the world that the treaty of Versailles
signed by the United States was not rat
fled and is. therefore. inapplicable to
the United States. In later sections of
the Hughes-knOx treaty. America speei-
fically claims rights and privileges OF the
Versailles treaty. The question Is asked
how the United States can in one breath
declare that a certain contract IL nun
and void, and in the next breath insist
that certain parts of the contract are
valid.
In answer to this query the United
States, while never ratifying the Yer
SsilleS treaty. has never nOtIhed the
other governments of the world of an IN
tention to- repudiate that document,
even though objection was made to GER
tain parts of it. such as the league Gov.
enant In other words, the treaty OF
Versailles unratified is just as 1--we a
document as the Hughes-hnoX treaty.
which has just been signed but Is also
unratified. Indeed, it appears that the
American government probably will take
the Wilson signature on the Versailles
pact From the allies viewpoint, this APP
received certain rights and privileges
from Germany under the Versailles pact
which cannot be lost simply because the
American senate failed to ratify certain
obligations imposed in that treaty.
America Liberal Enough.
Briefly. the American attitude is that
having participated in the war with
no desire to acquire territory or material
gain. the United States had a perfect
right to insist upon all the benefits and
privileges which may be conferred upon
other powers, while. at the same time
refusing to accept any obligations to en-
force the Versailles treaty or other com
pact. From the allies viewpoint, this ap
pears to be an intensely pro-American
as well as selfish. position. but American
officials declare that the unseifshness
of the United States was demonstrates
in the war. and that all the rights ano
privileges which have been sought II
the Hughes-Knox treaty are simply
those which would give America freedom
NJ npnOrtuDlty.