The Washington herald., 1921-07-06
America Must Obtain AL
lies Consent, Says
Sullivan.
PACT GIVES THEM
RULE OF GERMANY
Says Negotiations Point
To Acceptance of Yer
sailles Plan.
By MARK SULLIVAN.

etary Hughes has a plan In mlhu
or the next step in our foreign re-
s,ions and there is universal con-
,dence in Secretary Hughes ability
n make the best of a difficult situ-
tion- Beyond this there is nothing
o be said as to what is going to be
one now that the peace resolution
: recognized as more or less innoc-
IONS Ineffective, and merely tech
ical.
There are, however. serious mis-
onceptions on the subject of what 1t
5 now possible to do. The cheerful
ak about negotiating a new treaty
( amity and commerce with GER
nany omits an important fact. Ger
nany is not now free to negotiate
ny sort Of treaty of commerce that
he may feel like negotiating Ger
iany is under mortgage, so to speak,
o the allies. Germany is in the
.osition of a bankrupt in the hands
4 trustees. Anybody who wants to
cal with Germany must consult the
rustees. The allies can permit Ger
nany to do just as much or just as
little in the way of a treaty with
he United States as seems expe-
lent to the allies. In short, the
lilies have a veto and an extremely
arge regulatory power over any ne
rotations between Germany and the
United States looking to a new
reaty.
without Legal Rights.
Against this fact must be balanced
mother. In any interference which
he allies may quite reasonably. set
d to affect our new treaty with
iermany, We have no formal or le-
al right to protest. Their position
5 holder of the mortgage is incon-
estable- But we do have a strength
position which in any trading or
iegOtiating on this subject between
he allies and the United States will
erve US strongly. We are in a posi-
ion such that the allies will be sure
hesitate against taking an un-
easonable position with regard to
new treaty between Germany and
ourselves.
The allies owe US a great deal Of
money, on which the interest is
ave an economic and financial po-
itTon which the allies are sure to
egard with respect and which we
an use as a counter-weapon to the
lilies position of guardian over
iermany.
Must Respect Allies.
Having stated it this way. it is
lso to be stated that this is not
pleasant way to look at the sub
ect We are more or less morally
'ound to respect the position of
nortgagee which the allies have over
iermany- We should be in an I'M
heasant position If we should force
ne issue and insist upon making
WITH Germany a kind of treaty
which would be displeasing to the
lilies, or which would interfere with
he allies relation to Germany. Spe
ahcally. there is hardly any Ameri-
an VINO would ike to see us insist
ns upon form of treaty with Ger
many which in it's tariff and trade
iauses might impair the arrange
nents which the allies have already
made with Germany in order to give
hem prior rights over all of Ger
nany's resources.
In point of fact, when and il we
ct out to make a separate treaty
'lth Germany, We will have to deal
lot with Germany, but with Ger
nany.s guardian. the allies. Whether
We ike II or not, the fact is that
making the new treaty with
germany, which everybody now
ontemplates, we will be dealing
ealIy with the allies, and will ac-
ually be, to use Harding's phrase,
engaging under the Versailles
reaty. The allies are bound to
ach other by the Versailles treaty.
.nd Germany's relations to the al
les are determined by the Versailles
reaty' and any new relation which
We may now set up with Germany
must be determined and limited by
he Versailles treaty.
Must Resubmit Pact.
Under these circumstances, pene-
rating persons here in Washington
eaf1rm what President Harding
aid in April, namely, that the sim
hest way for US to get out of the
lllemma and resume normal rela-
ions with Germany and the rsst of
he world would be for Mr.. Harding
resubmit to the Senate the Ver-
allies treaty, with the league of
Iations excepted. and with all other
Iecessary qualifications. That this
the simplest way to go about, it
incontrovertible.
Those who seek any other way
rriVe at all kinds of curious ends.
mere are some who say, for ex-
mple, that We can take the ground
nat our old treaty with Prussia,
Srltten in 1928, is now automati-
ally revived, and that since that
10 treaty is pricr in time to the
IersalIles treaty, then we ignore
ne latter. This is farfetched rea-
ohlnS, and would never occur to
'nyoody except in a frantic and
essistic attempt to avoid engaging
Inder the Versailles treaty.
whether Mr.. Sullivan will choose
ne course of resubmitting the Yer
.ailles treaty no person can tell.
me Two facts of record are that
fr. Harding, by his speech in AnriI
'eiieyes that to be the best course,
nd Mr.. Hughes, by the document
ie and thirty others signed last
october. also believes that TO be the
est course. II President Harding
md Secretary Hughes do NOT take
he course which they believe to he
7est. II will be because of political
considerations. It will be because
hey fear the Senate would rebel