Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-30
TEUTON- AMERICAN
PACT D|SAPPO|NTS
ALLIED DIPLOMATS
Had Hoped That the United
States Would Eventually
Ratify the Treaty of YER
saiIIeS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1921

NSOpyElsHtP 4o<1sh
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2S.-There Is
no concealment here Of the disap-
pointment Of allied diplomats in the
new peace treaty signed by the Unit
ed 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 preserve the asso-
citation which began in 1917. The Eu-
ropean governments were prepared to
agree to any reservations to the YER
sailles pact which the American gov
eminent might have proposed. They
wanted Americas signature on the
treaty of Versailles chiefly for moral
effect.
OF course, diplomats do not discuss
American domestic politics for pub
LEGATION, but they are quite aware
that the fractional disputes in the
American senate furnished the I'M
DERIVING reason for the making of a
separate peace with Germany. 1t was
a case Of preserving harmony in the
Republican party or disappointing
the allied governments, and the Har-
ding administration felt that it was
more important to appease the do
nestle situation than to please Iu-
rope.
governments themselves have set a
precedent in attaching more weight
TO their own public opinion and do
nestle politics 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 fix the size of
In0 German INDEMNITY LOT
was acknowledged that because Prime
Minister Lloyd George had made an
extraVagant election promise, the
peace conference agreed with the ar
fa th OF the British prime minis
yer that his own political fortunes
would suffer If the indemnity were
definitely fixed.
Rights Not safeguarded
I. but leaving aside the considera-
tlons OF domestic politics which caus-
'ed Doth President Harding and Sec
rotary Hughes to abandon their first
idea of engaging under the exist
ing treaty of Versailles" there are in
allied circles many who predict that
america has not safeguarded her
rights from a legal standpoint, and
that while the allies are disposed at
this time to interpose no objection
chances are that the indirect method
by which the United States has made
peace with Germany will furnish
plenty Of legal controversy in futre
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 contro-
versy over legal questions, but it is
admitted that the European govern
ments may some day question the
validity of those rights which the
TO-.
quire by separate treaty with Ger
many.
The line of thought of those who
contend that the new treaty does not
in the preamble America formally
announced to the world that the
treaty Of Versailles signed by the
United States was not ratified. and
is, therefore, inapplicable to the
United States. In later sections of
the treaty ana erica
tleges of the Versailles treaty. The
question is asked how the United
States can in one breath declare that
r certain contract is null and void,
and in the next breath insist that
certain parts Of the contract are
valid?
Versailles Treaty Alive
In answer to this query. American
officials say that the United States,
while never ratifying the Versailles
treaty, has never notified the other
governments Of the world Of any in
tention to repudiate that document,
even though objection was made to
certain parts of it,. such as the
league covenant. In other words,
the treaty of Versailles unratified
Is Just as live a document as the
Hughes-Knox treaty, which has just
been signed but is also unratified.
Indeed, it appears that the Ameri-
IAN government probably will take
fact that the Wilson signature on
the Versailles pact indicates that
The United States received certain
rights and privileges from Germany
under the Versailles pact which cam
not be lost, simply because the
American senate failed to ratify
certain obligations imposed in that
treaty.
Briefly, the American attitude is
that, having participated in the war
with no desire to acquire territory
Dr. material gain, the United States
has a perfect right to insist upon
all the benefits and privileges which
may be conferred upon other pow
ars, while, at the same time, refus-
force the Versailles treaty or any
other compact. From the allies
viewpoint, this appears to be an in
tensely pro-American, as well as
selfish, position. but American off,
Gals declare that the unselfishness
Of the United States was demon
strated in the war, and that all the
been sought in the Hughes-Knox
treaty are simply those which would
give America freedom of commercial
opportunity.