The evening world., 1921-07-02
HARDING PUZZLES
BITTER ENDERS"
WHO HATE TREATY
President Himself Doesn't
Know How Peace Is to Be
Re-eStabliShed.
By DdUid Laurence.
Special Correspo ndent Of The Evening
World,


how peace with Germany will be re-
established after the Knox-Porter
resolution declaring a state OF peace
is on the statute books repeating all
legislation passed during the war
Neither does Mr.. Hughes know the
formula The highest spokesmen of
the Administration officially admit
that they do not yet know which paths
they will choose in seeking to extri-
cate the United states from the an
omalous position in which our foreign
policy has been ever since President
Wilson declined to accept the reserva-
tions Of the Republican Senate to the
Versailles Treaty.
For several days there have been
whispers that Mr.. Harding would
resubmit the Versailles Treaty, with
explicit reservations excluding the
League OF Nations covenant and all
other clauses that might involve the
United states in any obligation to
enforce the treaty. The wrath of the
"irreconcilable" group in Congress
which is just as much opposed to
the treaty as to the League, slowly
gathered. The whispers have grown
softer. No longer is it repeated that
the President has determined upon Il
course OF action. The only thing that
is said is that Mr. Harding's words
in his last message to Congress have
not been withdrawn. He declared
it would be wiser for the United
States TO engage under the existing
treaty" rather than to negotiate Il
new treaty.
Secretary Hughes has been carving
the Versailles Treaty. Ii has been a
painstakinS job. He has done it
quietly and without publicity. He
hasn't finished Tho big question Of
whether it is practicable to handle the
matter by submitting the Versailles
! Treaty with reservations has not yet
been answered, and there is Il lingor-
| ing hope among the irreconcilables
that Mr.. Harding will not lind it
wiser" to engage under the existing
treaty, but will make new treaty
after all.
He has insisted that the next step
was the negotiation OF a treaty OF
amity and commerce with Germany
The American Government could in
clude as many portions of the Yer
sailles Treaty as desired and yet not
have the document labelled versailles
! Treaty." but then the question arises
as to whether the United States IS en-
| titled to the rights OF victorious pos
session which the Allies claim were
given the United States along with the
| Allies only upon condition that the
! Versailles Treaty be ratified. In other
words, the rights are no longer Ger
many's, but have been handed to the
Allies, and the contract in which Ger
many gave these rights away is the
Versailles Treaty.
Mr., Hughes's ability as a jurist
comes in handy and he has already
solved many knotty question OF
law in the Department OF state His
logical mind made a simple case out
Of the mandate controversy and lc-
duced the Mexican question to a
plain statement of law.
But July is here and the foreign
policy Of the Administration as il
enters in the second half of the yea.
has not been defined largely because
of fear OF conflicting clements IN
the Senate on the one hand and an ef.
fort on the other hand to steer clear
OF the Wilson policies. To date, there.
fore, the Harding Administration has
found it necessary to use the Su-
preme Council as a means of COM
muncation with the rest OF the
world, and when it comes to eXpur-
eating the Versailles Treaty of those
provisions which vested the settle
ment OF certain questions in the
Council Of the League of Nations
the American proposal probably VII
be to have those same questions re-
ferred instead to the Supreme Coun-
ell or international con- ,sior.
especially formed for the purpose.
Some Of those who have been on
posed to the ratification of the Yer
saillos Treaty in any form are won
dering why Mr.. Harding bothers will
the Versailles pact or anything Euro
pean and doesn't forget Europe alto
gether but since coming into Office
Mr. Harding has found that the pay
ment of the 100000 OOO, 900 owed us
by Europe is inseparably bound uI
in the rcparation question and thar
matter is in turn a vital part of the
Versailles Treaty.
To safeguard Americas finances
and 10 enable the American peopl,
/ to redeem their Liberty bonds n
somewhere near their original pnc,
the Harding Administration is play.
ing as close to Europe as possibl,
without involving America in pledge,
to participate in future quarrelf
, abroad.
The only thing that has been dom