The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-05-19
Member of Parliament
Knitted DURING Dull Hours

TusitoDia are not satisfied. This will be
held i'm allegiance therefore until the
United States either negotlateS new
treaty with Germany or ratifies the Yer
saillcs treaty with reservations.
Other Amendments.
There are other amendments of the
Knox resolution which are deemed neces-
sarv i'm order to safeguard American
rights. The alien property custodian mas
been asked to appear before the mousse
committee on foreign affairs. The princi-
nal change is the addition of phrase
which win provide that enemy property
shall be retained and administered as
now provided by law and sale and dlSpo-
sition made" until such time as the Ger
man government has by treaty with the
United States made suitable provision Tor
the satisfaction of American claims. Thus
tha amendment would absolutely keep in
force the present trading with the enemy
act. SO far as it affects German property
held by the alien property custodian.
Another suggested change is that the
mower of the alien property custodian
Shall be continued not merely until the
time a treaty with Germany Is ratified
but until such time as congress SHAH
have provided for such further sale and
disposition pursuant to. said treaty 1t
is understood that Senator Knox is favor
able to the amendments and probably
would have made them when the measure
was in the senate except that the legal
eNpcIts did not get them ready in time
There is no friction about it-po clash
between President Harding and members
of congress. but simply a revision Of the
language of the resolution a 50 often hap
pens when a bill passes one house and Is
up for final passage in the other house.
Usually important bills are amended in
tin, senate. but the Knox resolution was
put through theupper house first md II
was deemed desirable to rush it through
without getting tangled up in controver-
sizes.
DO Not Like Repeal Clause.
Nevertheless. there is one point which
has oecasioned considerable comment and
which has produced honest differences of
opinion among the Republicans them
selves. 1t is the phrase whereby the orig
inal declaration of war is to be repealed.
few Republican senators and a large
number of house Republicans seem to
think there is no necessity for the repeal
clause because il may imply an apology
or expression of regret and that n simple
declaration of a state of peace - sufficient.
Here Is the text of the paragraph AZ il
passed the senate: Resolved by the
senate and house of representatives that
the Joint resolution of congress passed
April G. 1917. declaring a state of war to
exist between the imperial government OF
Germany and the people of the United
States of America and making provision
to prosecute the same be, and the same
hereby repealed and said state of war is
hereby declared at an end
Chairman Porter. of the house commit
tee on foreign affairs seems to feel that
the repeal phrase is superfuouS and
might lead to legal tangleS. Representa-
tive Mondell. house leader, shares that
view. The fear is that Germans may al
ways look upon that repeal as an express
sion of regret. or apology, or change of
heart on the part of the United States.
Heretofore. wars have come to an end
without repeating any war legislation.
The ratification of treaty has autOmat-
ically ended the state of war. That's why
so many members of congress feel that it
is sufficient merely To declare the war
ended, and a state of peace begun. Al
though President Harding hasn't ex-
pressed any views, there is reason to be-
lieve he would prefer to have the repeal
clause eliminated.