The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-02-03
Complicated Situation
Follows ReparationS
Action By the Allies
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright by The IntelliSsncer

Washington. Feb c-Opponr7;s Of
tho treaty oc Versailles may 10: BE- hap
~ ovrr the prospect hut the conclusion
= being forced upon many OF them tnat
Europe has Just executed u mansuEer
tIat may maze impoSSih bic a ~epa ri Re
treaty between Germany and the United
States and Compr. taT ratification OF the
treaty or Versailles by President Hard
,nS and tAc Republican senate.
This does not mean that Mr.. Harding
vii have 20 swallow the league ot ma
lions but X does mean that from the
,iewpoint Of International law and
treaty preCedentS. the next adininiStra-
'iop would D" IN "A far more advanta-
or Versailles with reservations ciim'na-
ting the eaEu" oc nations II L so de-
strcS. than IL would be by attempting
new treaty altogether.
The rcparatIonS question as !; has de-
Nr!oPed IN tho last ten days Is the iNmc-
0iatc caI>y OF the change in the s.tua-
j.on 80 far as X affects the United
States Heretofore all plans about
scrap3inE the treaty OF Versailles.
l"aGu" and all were received by tho
European countries without formal COM
m~nt or action. Now. however. without
waiting for the United States 10 ratify
the treaty. Europe has proposed repair
alton settlement in the roakinG OF which
the United States took no part. Techni-
Cally Indeed. Germany would have n
legal right 10 refuse 70 accept the allied
proposal on the ground that I did NOT
conform Ia the provisions OF the peace
Treaty itself which vested the Cortro,
81 the ~atjre subject OF reparat:on in a
commission IN which the United States
Was specifically given representation.
Germany knows fLU well that X the
United states had a representative on
the reparations commission. the propo-
sal Of fifty-s!X billion dollars OF in
demnjty would never have been sane
toned and would not be IL II were ever
laid before the I.ted States govern
ncnt ether under a Democratic 9 Re
publican administration Moreover. tho
United States would haVc something TO
say ABOUT tar y per cent export TAX
which many tariff experts believe would
operate against the interest Of the trade
-: the United States.
May Pile Objections.
However the allies have taken tas
initiative ana The question has arisen
whether IL would not nc proper for the
department. % state to rae diplomatic
note taking exception TO the allied pro-
poS;.l and paving the way for future
Safeguarding OF American rights in case
the Republican adm iniN;ratioh Wishes
20 raise this issue. should the United
States make no prntcS; the allies viii
consider that this government has con-
scented since in diplomacy silence gives
consent. In that event. the American
government will be in the position o.
seeking redress only from the allies IN
.ateS In serious disadvantage to tho
United States. -.
Originally II vas believed BY many
OF the opponents OF the treaty OF Yer.
Saillrs that simple declaration or
peace by resolution OF congress could
contain a Sl2tement announcing that the
United States informally entering INTO q
state Of peace with GCruAnS dld hot
Waive any advantages which miEn; ac-
rue under the trcnty % Versailles
This was later eliminated On the ground
that no announcement from congress
WAS necessarily binding either on Ger
many or the allied s.GnatorieS OF tAe
rsnce trCaty and that such a declaration
could only nave binding effect II nego-
lated by the executive pr@ncn or the
government with other governments III
Ine regular constitutional way. how
ever the Wilson administration whlch
signed the Versailles treaty thought u
unnecessary TO make Sucn statement
% the other powers since the signature
Of President Wilson still remained on
the peace treaty and so far as the execu-
i've branch Of our government was con-
rrrned Il had preserved intact all the
rights accruing 10 the United States un-
der the treaty "t 6erstilies, Thsre are are
government should tile a legal exception
TO the rcparatlon settlement
with 8sservshons.
Tho question now arises now tne
good and the bad IN the treaty shAu ne
SNpJE.lteu ana no" sN l1NiAS ''e N'aO
,reaty the Harding administration shall
not be compelled 10 assume obligations
which II does not want 10 assume. inc
onI, legal course left is for the treaty
tn be ratified with series OF rcscrra, +,
IONS either similar 10 those proposed
nv senator Lodge or set OF reScrNa-
lions even more comprehensive and em-
bodvIng the views OF Nr. harding To-
gard the league " nations S"cuoas or
rhe treaty. Then IL will become QuNs-
ZION ~ whether the allies will accept
the American reservations whereupon
the whole subject Will 0" open TO neso-
tis,Ion But on the Other hand. there
viii be discussion only OF those rart,
~ the treaty TO wh.ca the United States
raves exception All the other parts "t
the pact which give America voice
a. ,br -errlation or C;ermany's trade viii!
IN those circumstances hc Outside OF the
pecotiattons and the United States will
-. hn fr,nf IN. The allies