Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-06
KNox's ToM-roM PERFORMERS
ARE BANGING AWAY AGAIN
The Present SIdeshow In Washington
Restores Attention to the iniqulty
and Impractical Absurdity OF
Peace by Resolution

Peacc by RESOLUTION
az EEP away from the main tent, ladies
~ and gentlemen. Entrance tickets there
are obtainablc only with honor. If you
| lack any do not hesitate to patronizc our
| truly remarkable silcshow Step lively and
scc the extraordinary picture Peace by Res
| olution. Fast colors are not guaranteed
and the workmanship is crude and fantastic.
But what's tho odds? 1t all looks enough
| like the real thing and YOU and are frugal
people. High standards come high. Bring
along your dcbaScd principles and walk
right in. Show now beginning all over
again"
Whoever endowed the harkcrs for the
Knox separate peace program with lungs
made n stcntOrian job of It. And there Is
nothing shy about the tom tom obbigato. 1t
can be heard all over the lnnd.
Tho last performance. given in May, 1920,
failed to reach these deafcnins proportions.
The presidential veto of the Knox resolution,
dsposing Of all peace problems In n policy
Of sCuttlc. was anticipated. The congress
sional ajority vote on behalf Of the dcCla
ration was in effect the discharge of political
steam. Partisan passions. in both camps,
were at their height at that time.
The situation is altogether changed today.
The Republican party, in control of the
presidency and both houses of Congress. can
and manly methods of restoring peace.
Fortunately. moreover. every public net
performed by Mr.. Hughes since he took
charge Of the State Department bcspeaks
firm grasp of realities, vigorous Candor
and high resolve. President Hardng's con-
traStng rotlccnce is also quite correct. He
is expected to outline his foreign policy and
his views Of the relation of the United
States to the rest of the world in n message
to the special session of Congress scheduled
for next Monday.
But the ''irrcconcilables" nre ns froward
and violent as the name implies. Washing
ton SccthcS with rumors of the Presidents
conversion to the code of the bitter cndcrs.
The French envoy, NJ. Nivani. is said to
have been told the worst and to be almost
jubilant at the prospect of independent peace
action by the United States. Senator Knox
has busted off his resolution and hopes to
have 1t rushed through Congress at the
earliest possible opportunity. The stam-
pcde is on.
According to the shricks of ecstasy now
proceeding from the national Capitnl. Amer
lea is about to retire into the unimpcachably
virtuous isolation of the Western Hemis-
pherp q fellowship of tho nations has be-
come a discredtcd dream. we shall ncgo-
tiatc n treaty our own terms with Ger
many trade will be rCOpcncd and all will
be we'll.
The Knox resolution is the boiSterously
advertised panaCca. So comprehensive
remedy is worth examination. 1t is incum-
bent upon Americans that they should fully
realize it's import and compare its ingrcdi-
cnts with the purposes Of this nation in
entering the world war and the general
principles entertained by clear thinking peo-
pie concerning the peace.
If such persons are not nnusoatcd by the
contents of the resolution it is charitable to
assume that they have become hopeleSSly
cntangcd in Mr.. KnoS's scrpcntino sem
tcnccs one of which is fifty four lines long.
Patience. however. will extract a meaning
from this labyrnthinc product aud siCkCn-
ing and contemplate is the revelation. For
this specimen Of pinchbcck statrcraft is not
alone cowardly and skulking. but prcpoS-
ferrous.
1t contains n declaration of peace and
urges the prompt negotiation of n separate
treaty. Until this Is ratified by n two thirds
majority of Congress the United States will
retain all German property coming into it's
| possession on April q. 1917. and on any
! date subsequently. This property is OBJ
viously regarded as bargaining material.
The adoption Of that vicw however, raises
! dsQuicting point. To what purpose was
| all the American expenditure of blood and
treasure: The really slick thing would have
property on this side of the water, without
! Il war.
Is III" nation, therefore, prepared to admit
! that its participation in the war against
! German tyranny and brutality was n ghastlg
error Passage of the Knox resolution
! would UNANIMOUSLY imply that the nation had
mockrd Mt it's own sacrifice and that tn"
! debt TO civilization paid on the fields of
France had been hidcously vain. DiShonor
!
The scuttlcrs, however. demonstrate that
/ what they lack in decent feelings is offset by
no slight respect for substantial rompcnSa
tion. The method by which the United
States. ono of III" dominant contributing
factors to tn" victory. saves from paupcriza'
ton in the tinnlc is ingenious
The resolution asserts that pending the
ratification Of Il new treaty this country
"docs not waive any Of III" rights, privi
| lrgps indrmnitiCS, rCparatiOnS or adynn-
tagcs to which II and its nationals have be
come entitled under terms of tho armisticc,
signed November II. 1918. or any extern
sions or notifications thereof which, under
the treaty Of Versailles, have been Stipu
lated for its benefit AS one of tho principal
Allied and Associated Powers and to which
it * entitled"
In other words. treaty which tho Pr"si-
dent Of the United States was admittedly
influential in framing. n treaty containing
an international partnership program, Amer
lean in fundamental spirit and in II sense
forced upon reluctant foreign nations, is
east in the teeth Of those governments. We
will fashion our own pact with Germany,
meantime insisting upon all advantages safe
guarded 10 us by II treaty which we reject.
In the entire history of international rrln .
tionshipS this revolving nonsense has no
fellow.
1t is almost inconccivablc that such de-
spicabl" SophIStry can win general nccrpta
tion in tho United States, IL nation whose
Diplomacy has ever been marked by high =
minded sincerity and candor. What is
happening in Washington just now is a
hullalaloo which must not be confused witt,
constructive work upon problem perplex
ing. difficult. vital, but not insOmble.
Mon Ike thn President md Secrcta arins