Evening star., 1921-10-18
U.S.-GERMAN PEACE
TREATY DELAY HELD
WORLD DRAWBACK
Senator Hitchcock Declares
Immediate Settlement ST.
preme Need of Hour.
REHABILITATION AWAITS
BEFORE-WAR RELATIONS
Present Condition "Intolerable Un-
certainty"-Forceful Arguments
Used for Speedy Ratification.

Used for Speedy Ratification.
Re-establishment of peace with
| Germany as necessary for American
and world rehabilitation, was the
fundamental reason given in the SEN
| ate today by Senator Hitchcock of
Nebraska. ranking democratic mem
Der and former chairman of the for
| eign relations committee. for favor
ing ratification of the peace treaty
with Germany.
J 'The question before US now" said
| Senator Hitchcock. lis not a choice.
| between the Versailles treaty and the
pending treaty. but between the pend
ing treaty and protracted uncer-
| tainty without any treaty"
| A speech by Senator johnson of Cal
1 ifornia, who will also vote for the
i treaty. also featured the debate in
the Senate today. 1t is expected that
! vote on the resoluti ion of ratifica-
! tion Will be had late today or tonight
| While the vote Will be close. the sup
porters OF the treaty are confident of
| ratification.
"IntOlerabIe Uncertainty"
| Declaring that the American cleo
torate had Commissioned" foreign al
fairs to President Harding. Senator
| Hitchcock continued:
Il cannot bring myself to vote
against the ratifica tion of this treaty
! when | know that the only alternative
will be 10 prevent Il peace settlement
/ with Germany, and will leave every
! thing in a state of uncertainty. This
! existing state of uncertainty is dis
! astrous. and l for one shall not vote
| to prolong it. One of the necessary
I ct. ,t
| with Germany and the resumption Of
business relations with that great
! country.
The first necessary step to end
i this intolerable uncertainty is a pe.Lrc
settlement. The uncertainty was not
ended by the Knox resolution: it can
| not be ended in any other way than
by a treaty with Germany
and / am for ratification of this treaty
because the peace settlement is the
supreme need of the hour"
L. :. Interests Protected.
Senator Hitchcock said that the
pending treaty protected American
interests as much as the Versailles;
covenant and that it would not
change the American attitude toward
the league of nations.
After this treaty is ratified he
declared, I'VE can enter the league
just as easily as we can now, and
est obstacle against such action.
| Il have been asked sometimes"
| Senator Hitchcock continued, how
] as democrat could vote for n sep
arate peace with Germany when the
democratic platform of last year de-
clared against a separate peace with
Germany. The answer is that that
was one of the issues of She last cam
paign and was settled by the last
campaign. 1t was settled against the
4
issue again in a campaign. 1T was a
part of our struggle for the ratifica-
ton of the Versailles treaty. and we
lost. We cannot revive the Versailles
| treaty by defeating this treaty; all
We can do will be to prolong a con-
dition of doubt and uncertainty in our
relations with Germany"
Other Treaties to Follow.
The senator contended that it was
high time" for the United States to
| resume friendly relations with the
German people and he urged that the
United States appoint a member on
the allied representations commits
| sion.
The present treaty, he said. would
be followed by other treaties with
| Germany.
This treaty. however" he added.
'is the first step that must be taken.
and this step has now been delayed
for almost three years. / believe it
should be taken. and taken at once"
Mr.. Johnson's View.
Senator johnson, one Of the irrec-
oncilable republicans on the Yer
sailles treaty, said that he did not be-
lieve that the pending treaty would
force the United States into any Eu-
ropean peril. as some of its opponents
have predicted
The California senator declared his
not permit the United States to be
taken into the league of nations by
any means or to become involved in
the maelstrom of Europe.
Senator johnson declared, however.
unalterablc opposition to Americas
joining the allied reparations COM
mission. The views of Secretary
Hughes in favor of such representa-
tion, he said, constitute the danger
of the future" Secretary Hughes.
the senator declared, was 'one of
those who would have taken US into
| the maelstrom of Europe"
Efforts to amend the administration
peace treaty with Germany were de-
! feated in the Senate yesterday.
The amendments rejected yesterday
were offered by Senators Reed of
| Missouri and Walsh of Montana.
democrats. and received scant sup
port, the great bulk of democrats as
well as republicans voting in opposi-
ton Senator Reed, one of the :bit-
ter enders" in the fight against the
league of nations covenant, proposed
a blanket clause freeing the Unite%
States from all obligations under the
| treaty of Versailles. 1t was defeated,
66 to I. the latter comprising Senators
| Ashurst, Arizona: Reed and Watson,
Georgia. and Walsh, Massachusetts,
democrats. and Borah, Idaho: John
son, California. and La Toilette, Wis
| consin. republicans.
Just before the Senate adjourned
last night Senator Reed offered two
more amendments. One was similar
| to his original proposal for exemption
of obligations under the Versailles
treaty. and the other would declare
this nation not bound to submit any
claims to the reparations commission
or any other body created by the
Versailles covenant
| Attacks against the treaty were
| delivered by Senators Reed and Wat
son of Georgia.
! POSTAL MEN VISITORS.