Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-04-15

render of our hope and aim for an as
sociate to promote peace In which we
would most heartily join. We wish it
to be conceived in peace and dedicated
to peace, and win relinquish no effort
to bring the nations Of the world in
such fellowship; not in the surrender of
national sovereignty but rejoicing in Il
nobler exercise of it in the advance
ment of activities amid the
compensations Of peaceful achieve
ment. .., -. - =,
In the national referendum to which
I have .adverted we pledged our cf-
forts toward such association and the
pledge will be faithfully. kept. In the
plight Of policy and performance, we
I'told the American people we meant to
seek an early establishment of peace.
The United States alone among the al
lied and associated powers continues in
a technical state Of war against the
central powers Of Europe. This anon
alous condition ought not to be permit
ted to continue. To establish the state
of technical peace without further de-
lay, 1 should approve a declaratory res
olution by congress to that effect with
the qualifications essential to protect
our rights Such action would be the
simplest keeping Of faith with ourselv-
es. and could in no sense be construed
oF with
shared our sacrifices in war, for these
powers are already at peace
Only Declare Peace.
Such a resolution should undertake
to do no more than thus to declare the
state Of peace. It must add'no difficult
ty in effecting, with just reparations,
the restoration for which oil Europe
ycarns, and upon which the worlds re-
covery must depend. Neither former
enemy nor ally can mistake Americas
position, because our attitude rs to re-
Esponsibility for the war and the neces-
sity for Just reparation already has had
formal and very earnest expression.
It would be unwise to undertake to
make a statement Of future policy with
respect to European affairs in such a
declaration Of state Of peace. In corr
rccting the failure of the executive In
negotiating the most important treaty
I'M the history of the nation, to recog-
nize the constitutional powers OF the
senate, we would go to the other ex-
treme usually Objectionable, if congress
or the senate should assume the func-
tIons of the executive. Our highest
duty is the preservation OF the consti-
tutional powers Of each and the promo
ton of the spirit of cooperation so es-
sential to our common welfare.
1t would be idle to declare for sepa-
rate treaties OF peace with,,the central
powers on the assumption; that these
alone would be adequate, because the
situation Is so involved that our peace
engagements can not ignore the old
world relationship and the settlements
already effected. Nor is It. desirable to
do so in preserving our own rights and
contracting our future relationship.
Parts of Treaty Available;
The wiser course would seem to be
the acceptance of the confirmation Of
our rights and interests as already
provided and to engage under the ex-
listing treaty assuming of course, that
.I, 49,. L.. .,+;,Fo o+or;Iy accomD)ished
by such explicit reservation and modi-
fication as will secure our absolute
freedom from inadvisable commitments
and safeguard all our essential inter-
ests.
Neither congress nor the people need
my assurance that request to nego-
tiate needed treaties Of peace would be
as superflous and unnecessary as 1t IS
technically ineffective, and know In
my own heart there Is none who couid
wish to embarrass the executive'in the
performance Of his duty, when we are
all so eager to turn disappointment
and delay into gratifying accomplish
ment.
Problems relating to our foreign rela-
tons bear upon the plan FOR the
future and are Of such nature that
the all important future must be delib-
erately considered with greater con-
Germ than mere immediate relief from
unhappy conditions. We have Witness
ed, yes, we have participated in the su-
premely tragic episode of war, but our
deeper concern Is in the continuing Ike
of nations and the development of CIV
ilization. ...,.
We must not allow our vision TO be
impaired by the conflict among our
selves. The weariness at home and the
disappointment of the world have been
compensated in the proof that this re-
public will surrender none of the herit-
age Of nationality, but our rights IN
international relationship have to be
asserted, they require establishment IN
cor,pacts of amity; our part IN read
iustment and restoration can not be ig-
..l ,,a ,,,uot no definpd