South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-05
Other Editors Than Ours
WHERE DOES 1T LEAVE US?
indianapolis News.)

Irreconcilables. mild reservationists, three demo
crats-and La Follette-put through the Knox
peace resolution Saturday, the being 40 p
for adoption. Where this will leave us-assuming
that the house in the action. as of course
il Wilt is impossible say. We do not believe
that those who voted for the resolution can tell.
The senate cooperate in making peace by
treaty except by a two-thirds It might fairly
be argued that If the senate may make peace in
one way by majority vote it ought to have the
power to make it in the other way-that Is by
treaty-also by majority vote.
The issue presented is somewhat metaphysical.
For 4 seems 10 be admitted that the enactment
OF this resolution will not establish peace for
Lodge announced that treaties with Germany and
with the other powers with WHICH the United
States had been at would follow. and the pre-
sumption seems 10 be that there will be no peace.
legal sense till these treaties are negotiated
and ratified. When that will be dare predict.
Many months may elapse before there is settle
ment. But though this resolution does estab-
lsh peace Sen. La Toilette said that he voted for
it because II would end the war status"
As a matter of fact. the resolution does AFR
matively declare status. The result that fol-
lows is a inference. For what congress does
is 10 repeal the resolutions declaring against
Germany and Austria Hungary. The record there
fore, stands though these had never been passed
and It might PERHAPS be argued that We revert 10
the status that existed before those declarations OF
war had been made. The vote in the senate is in
effect vote correcting the record"
But manfestly revert. as the result
Of congressional action to the pre-war status
Too much has happened in the last four years. We
are living in new world in new relationships 10
other nations. and with new rights and duties
rights and duties that had not been dreamed OF
prior TO entrance into the Indeed this very
resolution admits all this For it provides for the
tmpounding Of alien enemy property. and reserves
10 the United states az the rights and privileges
guaranteed 10 the United States by the treaty OF
Versailles and oher treaties This resolution could
not stand alone, FOR there is written into It the
Versailles treaty far it is a grant OF rights
and privileges 20 this country! 1t ends tile war
status, yet does not bring peace. OF itself X does
not and can not safeguard American right
growing out Of the war. but points 10 a separate
treaty and also 20 the Versailles treaty. which
therefore parts 81 the resolution-uness it held
that the resolution IS a part OF them.
There is. OF course, nothing rising in all this
Tor Pres't Harding candidate had pledged him
self 10 declaratory resolution OF this sort. The
victory is with the irreconcilables. who have for
more than two years held the whip hand. They
knew what they wanted had the courage Of their
convictions. and were not afraid 10 make trouble.
The friends OF the League OF Nations among the
republicans, and the mild reservationists. al
ways ready TO surrender rather than put up a hght
for what they believed 90 be right But where does
this resolution leave the country and the world?