The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1921-07-15
HUGHES ASSIGNED
TASK MAKING OUT
OTHER PEACE PLAN
SEPARATE GERMAN PEACE
The Allies Are Receivers for a
Bankrupt Germany and Un-
less America Wants to Re-
sumo Her Place a. Receiver
She Must Put Herself Out
side the Allied G roup.
(By David Lawrence).


(Copyrigh, 1921, by Daily Times).
Washington, July 13.-President
Harding has aske Secretary Hughes
to work out an alternative PROPOSE
tion to that Of the Versailles treaty
as a means of making peace with
Germany. This doesn't mean that the
President has rejected the idea Of
submitting the Versailles pact with
reservations but it does mean that
that Mr.. Harding feels the necessity
of exhausting every legal resource
that might accomplish peace with
Germany and yet not offend the ele-
ments in the Senate who believe the
United States ought never to put it's
approval on any part of the agree
ment negotiated at Versailles by Pres
ident Wilson.
Whether there is an alternative is
yet to be determined. Mr.. Hughes
is searching precedents and consider
ing new devices of law. He himself
believes Americas rights will never
be as we'll safeguarded as they would
be under the Versailles past and
would so hold if he could have his
way but he is endeavoring to do for
Mr.. Harding what any able lawyer
would do for his client-find a way
to meet not only the external difficult
ties of an international character but
the internal troubles Of political ma
ture which may impede ratification
in the Senate.
There is one alternative being con-
skiered which may or may not be ef-
fective. It is so novel that its effects
cannot Immediately be conjectured.
1t involves making a separate treaty
with Germany but claiming under
such treaty all the rights and priv
ileges which were given the United
States under the Versailles pact. In
other words Germany having bestow-
ed upon the United States as one OF
the Principal allied and Associated
powers certain rights and privileges
would now subtract those rights
from the Versailles pact so far as
they affect the United States and
| transfer them to new treaty.
The objection to such a course is
| two-fold. Would the Allies consent
and second, would America be legal
ly as secure even If the Allies did
The big fact Is that Germany hasn't
any rights to give away anymore and
no longer can withdraw from the
Versailles treaty anything she gave
away in that pact without first get
ting the consent of the signatorie'
to that treaty-the great powers. II
other words Germany can't agree tt
anything with the United State!
without the consent Of the allies. Th'
peace negotiations will be nominal!
with Germany but in reality with th'
Allies. To make separate treat!
opens up that whole question. To sui
NIT the Versailles treaty with reser
vations means that the consent of tn
Allies to those reservations is no
necessary. The United States woul'
. merely be approving and subscribing
to certain articles of the treaty bu
. would decline to be party to othe
. articles such as those involving tn
enforcement of the treaty eithe
through the league Of nations or an
. other instrumentality.
j Some of the legal experts believ
| that separate treaty with German
even though its first paragraph Nigh
, grant all the rights which German
had previously given the Unite
: States in the Versailles treaty woul
: not bind Germany in the end becaus
having disposed of those rights 1
q the first place to the Allies and tn
! United States as a group, 1t may
J. that the failure Of the United Safe
: to remain member Of the grou
: known as the Principal Allied an
a Associated Powers means losing th
] Continued on page 81