Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-27
HUN PACT VICTORY
| FOR LEAGUE FOES
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
tLeased Wire Service to The Journal)
Copyright, 1921

Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25.-The
irreconcilable" group in the United
States, original foes of the Versail-
les treaty, have won a complete vic
tory.
Official announcements at the
White House that a separate peace
with Germany had been negotiated
and conferences between President
Harding and Republican members of
the senate foreign relations commit
tee yielded the information that at
last substitute for the peace trea-
had been agreed upon between Ger
many and the United States.
The new treaty is brief and in
ed practically every point. She gave
the United States all the rights
which were given to other countries
under the Versailles treaty.
Salient Points of Treaty
In effect the new treaty does the
following things:
1. 1t establishes peace between the
United States and Germany as soon
as the pact is ratified by the United
States senate and the German reichs-
tag.
2. 1t grants to the United States
all the rights which were given 9TH
er powers under the Versailles treaty.
8. 1t makes possible the negotia-
ton in the future of new CONNER
cia' treaties.
4. 1t contemplates the resumption
Of diplomatic relations as soon as
tile notifications are exchanged.
5. 1t makes possibleathe issuance
Of a peace proclamation terminating
all war leSisl1tion in which the
until after peace shall have been
proclaimed" were used. These laws
have been a source of much discus
sion and legal dispute.
The "irreconcilables" are happy,
for they have brought to their ranks
not only a majority Of the senate,
eminent, including men like Secre-
tary Hughes, who originally favored
the Versailles treaty with reserva-
lions. Senator Lodge, who drew up a
set of reservations to the Versailles
treaty, has agreed to the abandon
ment of that document, and is in
favor Of the new peace treaty.
Senator Knox, who wrote the peace
resolution Of congress, is pleased be-
cause the new treaty follows almost
exactly the purposes of that resolu-
ton.
The "irreconcilables" set out to
defeat the League of Nations, to see
to it that the United States assume
no political obligations in any treaty
to make a separate peace with Ger
many and to see that Americas eco
nomic rights growing out of the Eu-
ropean war were safeguarded.
All these points in the program
of the "irreconcilables" have been alb
solutely. won by them. The new
treaty ignores the League OF Ma
tons. 1t does not involve the United
States in any assumption of political
obligations or responsibilities in Eu-
ropean affairs.
1t confirms the congressional reso-
luton declaring peace. 1t safeguards
Americas economic rights in all the
territories given either though man
dates or cessions to the victorious
powers in the European war. 1t af-
lords the basis for claims of equal
commercial opportunity in oil re-
glons and in ether areas where vaIil-
able resources may be found.
The new treaty will go through
the senate without much opposition.
The Democrats are not strong
enough to prevent it's passage. The
Democrats have a membership of
only slightly more than one-third of
the senate and there are at least a
half dozen Democrats who will vote
necessary tWo-tbirds.
The question is being asked how
1t is that the United States can OBJ
tain rights under the Versailles trea-
ty which it doesn't consider valid
because it failed of ratification. But
the truth is the United States has
just made what amounts to a "fa-
vored nation" treaty. It has been
customary for governments in maxi
ing treaties with each other to OBJ
tain all the rights or special privi-
leges in commerce which were be-
ing granted to other powers. Thus
Germany gave the allies certain eco
nomic rights. She gives America the
same rights by a sweeping asser-
ton that the same privileges as
were granted to other countries in
the Versailles pact now are grant
ed to the American government.
The Versailles treaty is recognize
ed as in existence between Germany
and the European powers just as it
would be if it had never been offered
to America for signature. 1t is true
also that the Versailles pact which
was repudiated by the senate never
was returned to Germany by the de-
partment of state either under the
Wilson or Harding administrations.
Much use was made of that fact dur
ing the negotiations because at any
have submitted the Versailles pact
with reservations excluding the I'M
desirable clauses and thus obtain the
same thing.
So Germany obliged America by
following the Harding Knox formula.
Secretary Hughes as distinguished
jurist has decided that Americas le-
gal rights are fully safeguarded.
The issue now is before the senate,
which will ratify or reject the pact
after the recess next month. The
treaty will, however, be ratified.