The daily times., 1921-08-22
NEGOTIATIONS FOR
PEACE REST WITH
GERMANY ACTION
REASON FOR CAUTION
Nobody in the Senate Can Be
Sure of the Course the Amer
lean Government Will Have
to Take the Answer is With
Germany Alone, and Time
Will Show the Results.
REASON FOR CAUTION
(By David Lawrence.)
copyright, 1921, by The Daily
Times

Times)
Washington, Aug. 2O.-The STRAIT
egy behind the United States govern
ment's negotiations with Germany
over the making of new peace
treaty is. just coming to light. 1t is
one of the most interesting inside
stories which official Washington
has developed since the war.
The truth is President Harding and
Secretary Hughes have been Ioath to
announce to the world that the plan
whereby Congress was to make peace
by resolution is after all ineffective.
The executive branch of the govern
ment is finding out that it alone car
ries the burden of making peace with
Germany and that the Germans are
not jumping through the hoop at
the mere nod of Washington but are
actually asking for voice in making
the treaty a procedure in contrast to
the moments at Versailles when the
Allies framed treaty and called the
German delegates into the room and
commanded them to sign on the dot
ted line.
When Congress passed the joint
resolution declaring peace, it was be-
llieved that peace had been accom-
plished and that a formal proclama
tion of peace would follow in the ma
tural course of events. The Depart
ment of State opposed such a course
putting up the argument that if
America announced by proclamation
the United States would be playing
it's last card, so to speak, and would
have no leverage upon Germany in
the negotiation of a peace treaty.
pending the outcome of the parleys
Between American Commissioner
Dressed in Berlin and the German
government.
But that isn't all. For weeks the
White House and State Department
have been reticent about the nego-
tiations and significantly enough de-
! malls have been made of various
! treaty would be re-submitted. Mem
bers of the irreconcilable group in
| the Senate have stated positively
their conviction that the Versailles
| treaty wouldn't be resubmitted to the
Senate. But the truth of the matter,
. it now appears, is that nobody in the
Senate or even the executive branch
of the government can be sure what
the course of the American govern
ment will have to be. The Germans
alone have the answer. And this is
why:
/ The American Commissioner in
Berlin approaches the German gov
! ernment and says in effect: ''The
American Congress has just passed
resolution of peace in which the
rights of the United States under the
| Versailles treaty must be safeguard
! ed. That's an instruction from Con-
gress which we can't ignore. Now we
know it will take months to work out
a new treaty with all the important
clauses of the Versailles treaty re-
tanned so we suggest a temporary ar
rangement or agreement in which
Germany pledges herself to make
! treaty later with the United States
/ in which the rights given America
under the Versailles treaty are re-
| tanned by America"
In other words, the United States
has tried to get a reaffirmation of
the Versailles treaty in advance of
the negotiation of a formal treaty of
peace with Germany. If Germany de-
clines, then America simply says:
Don't forget we signed the Versall-
les pact and we can simply ratify it
with reservations that exclude the
league of nations covenant and Shan
Continued On page 81