The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-18
SHOULD RATIFY
PACT, IS VIEW
OF HITCHCOCK
Nebraska Democrat
Says Uncertainty
Must End.
BULLETIN.

aShmgton, Oct. 1S.-Unlt-
ed Press 1.-Two of the bitter
est foes in the League of Ma
tons fight-SenatOrs johnson
of California, Republican sir
reconcilable," and Hitchcock,
Nebraska, Democrat leading
league supOrter-today opened
the final debate on the peace
treaty with Germany, in the
senate with speeches in support
of the pact.
johnson delivered a fiery de-
nunciatiOn of the league and
characterized the reparatiOBs
provisions of the Versailles
treaty as "revolting to every
advocate of future peace, and
every lover of liberty"
Washington, Oct. 1S.-(A P.)-
Reestablishment of peace with
Germany is necessary for Ameri-
can and world rehabilitation. This
was the fundamental reason given
in the senate today by Senator
Hitchcock of Nebraska, ranking
Democratic member and former
chairman of the foreign relations
committee, for favoring ratification
of the peace treaty with Germany.
No Choice.
"The question" he said. '"is not a
choice between the Versailles treaty
and the pending treaty. but between
the pending treaty and protracted
without any treaty"
Declaring that the American
electorate had commissioned" for
eign affairs to President Harding,
Senator Hitchcock continued:
81 cannot bring myself to vote
against the ratification of this
treaty when l know that. the only
alternative will be to prevent a
peace settlement with Germany and
will leave everything in a state of
This existing state Of
is disastrous and
shall not vote to prolong it. One
of the necessary steps to end it is
a peace settlement with Germany
and the resumption of business re-
lations with, that great country.
supreme Neeus
"The first necessary step to end
this intolerable uncertainty is a
peace settlement. The uncertainty
is not ended by the Knox resolu-
ton; it cannot be ended in any
other way than by a treaty with
Germany and | am for. ratifi-
cation of this treaty because the
peace settlement is the supreme
need of the hour"
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 to-
ward the League of Nations.
Doesn't Bar League.
After this treaty is ratified" he
declared, I'VE can enter the league
Just as easily as we can now, and
this treaty does not raise the
slightest obstacle against such &C
ton"
81 have been asked sometimes -
Senator Hitchcock continued, how
l as a Democrat could vote for a
separate peace with Germany when
the Democratic platform of last
year declared against a separate
peace with Germany. The answer
is that that was one of the issues
of the last campaign and was set
tied by the last campaign. 1t was
settled against the Democrats and
it will never be an issue again in a
campaign. 1t was part of our strug-
gle for the ratification OF the Yer
vailles treaty and we lost. We can
not revive the Versailles treaty by
defeating this treaty; all we can do
will be to prolong a condition OF
doubt and uncertainty in our rela-
lions with Germany"
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 ap-
point a member on the allied rep
arat.on commission.