The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-09-09
WHAT THEY DIED FoR

AemOrla1 services over the DOuIeS
lof 5000 dead soldiers brought back
from France on the transport Wheaton
were held on Pier No. at Hobokan
Sunday afternoon II would appear
from the reports that nobody who par
ticipated in the services ventured TO
explain what these men had died for,
and in the light Of the separate treaty
of peace that Mr. Harding and Mr..
Hughes have negotiated with Ger
many an attempt at explanation could
hardly have failed to be embarrass-
ing
At the dedication OF the cemetery
at Gettysburg. Lincoln could plead
that we here highly resolve that these
dead shall not have died in vain-that
this Nation. under God. shall have a
new birth OF freedom. and that gov
eminent of the people. by the people.
for the people. shall not perish from
the earth"
The historian viii search the Hard
ing -Hughes-Wirth treaty Of peace In
vain for single word TO Indicate that
the American dead in this war died
for anything except the collection Of
certain private claims for damages
against the German Government. To
all fntents and purposes the treaty
might as well be the terms of an agree
ment settling a suit for trespass.
In May, Col. George Harvey. Mr.
Harding's Ambassador to Great Brit
am, made a speech at the Pilgrims din
ner in which he informed Europe
that the American people had no
ideals in-the war and that we took
up arms against German aut0cracy
only because I'VE were afraid not to
fight .That is the real truth Of the
matter he added. -and SO we came
along toward the end and helped you
and your allies shorten the war That
is all we did and all that we claim
to have done
Col. Harvey's speech was followed
by a great wave of American protest.
and both Mr. Harding and Mr. Hughes
were forced by circumstances to make
speeches on their own account which
we're IN effect a Reputation Of the
Harvey utteranee and which were
generally construed as a rebuke to
the Ambassador But In the separate
treaty with Germany Col Harvey finds
his vfndication. Mr. Harding and Mr..
Hughes have translated the Harvey
speech into the Treaty OF Berlin.
which recognizes no American aim
or objects IN the war except an effort
to save our own skins and by which
we retire from the conflict smugiy sat
isfied with such parts of the swag as
we were able to seize and hold. They
have stripped it. of everything which
carried the suggestion OF an ideal or
noble purpose
Col Harvey may not have under
stood the American people when he
made the Pilgrims dinner speech.
but it is evident that he understood
the President and the State Depart
ment He knew their attitude toward
the war and he knew what they
thought the United States must have
been lighting for when it took up the
German challenge He knew also
when they made speeches gloryfying
American ideaIism that it was his
speech and not theirs which would be
the basis of the treaty OF peace with
Germany.
In the light of this formal diplomatic
expression of the Harvey Harding prin-
eiples it can Besaid too that the dead
in this war did not die in vain They
/ died in order to validate the Ameri-
can title to German private property
which the Government Of the United
States took over and held to guaran-
tee the payment OF private claims
against the German Government It
IS for this that they gave their young
lives. It Is for this that all the sac
rifees were made. It is for this that
1.-THE American people poured out their
blood and treasure
/ 1t is 50 set down in the treaty in
/ the precise language Of the eminent
contract lawyer who IS now Secretary
tof State and is serving at attorney for
/ the Republican Senators who dictated
the terms Of peace 1t is all official
and final, for the Constitution makes
treaties when they are ratided-even
this squaiid. sordid Treaty Of Berlin
the supreme law Of the land. World
Sr+URT AND LONG HALLS
Z am in position To do al kinds of
ha.LI Ing. eLrLar long or short disranlaa.