Manchester Democrat., 1921-03-23
FACING THE SITUATION
(From Des Moines Register)

Free Press, which is worth recalling
now. Mr. Dafoe was member o
the Canadian delegation at the Pari
peace making and stands high VI
among the opinion makers of Canada
AS a locker on our American cam
paign then forming Mr.. Dafoe sug
gested the impossibility of separate
peace with Germany, and limited a
the difficulties in the way of another
association of nations after the league
had already been accepted by more
than forty states. We have already
seen that separate peace with Ger
many is out of the question. The Kno1
resolution is for all practical pur'
poses dead. Is it not likely that we
shall in the same way see that 6
new association of nations is also ou1
of the question?
In any event, nobody will find the
time wasted that is spent in reread.
ing what shrewd and capable Can.
adian observer. said nearly year ago
Mr.. Dafoe wrote:
March, 1921, will soon be here
1t may, probably will, see a repub.
lican president in the White House
with a congress behind him repub-
lican in both it's branches. The field
will, therefore, be clear to go ahead
The difficulties of the republicans will
begin at once. They will first have to
decide what they will do with the
war with Germany, which will still be
on officially. 1t may be very greatly
doubted whether the republicans, in
power and able to give effect to their
plans, will care to set the preced-
ent of declaring peace by simple con-
gressional resolution. By thus fix
ing peace the United States will fore
go safeguards and advantages Sc
cured by the treaty of Versailles.
The constitutional power of congress
to declare peace might also be chal-
nged in the courts. The alterna-
tive would be to negotiate a new
treaty of peace with Germany. The
making of this treaty would not be
without it's difficulties and perplexi-
ties; and after it was duly complet-
ed and signed Senator Lodge, as
chairman of the foreign relations COM
mittee, would have to pilot the treaty
through the senate. He might con-
ceivably have some trouble in get
ting it through, for the democratic
minority will certainly. be numerous
enough to block, if they chose, the
ratification of the treaty under the
two-thirds' vote provision. They would
naturally be in the mood to make
trouble for republican, president,
Senator Lodge and the republican lead
ers generally. So much for the peace
treaty. proper. -. ~ Gs.z sz2..z.s;,ii,.z.
THE United States, looking about
for an international association for
peace preservation purposes would
find that there was already in ex-
istance an association which, in the
opinion of practically all the other
nations Of the world, sufficiently met
the purposes which the United States
desires to further. Already forty na-t
tions are included in the league Of
nations The list includes all the
countries who took part in the late
war on the allied side save the Unit
ed States and practically all the neu-
trail nations of Europe and America.
Additions to the membership will be
made during the coming year. Applica-
tions from Esthonia and the Ukraine
are pending; and the admission OF
some of the enemy states within the
next twelve months is certain. The
admission Of Germany at an early date
is possibility.
"Under these conditions, which will
prevail next year, what will the United
States do? 1t will have to recognize
the fact that the league of nations
is in existance, that it is functioning,
that it has accepted and is discharg- |
ing responsibilities under the peace
treaty which it dare not abandon;
that it has the backing of an over
majority of the nations OF
the world. A meeting of the assembly
Of the league is a certainty for 1921.
The United States will surely not ex-
pect the league to meet and solemnly |
vote itself out Of existence in order |
that an international association
more agreeable to Senator Lodge and |
his colleagues shall take its place. If
the league were to disappear it would |
be- long day before it or anything |
like it would reappear. The one hope |
for the future is that the league, de-
fective though it may be, will con-
tinue and will develop until it be-
comes the power in the world that
It's founders expected it to be.
1.-THE United States will, in fact
have to go in with the other nations
in the existing league, or remain out
side it in an isolation about which |
there will be nothing splendid. The
American people will not be content
long to remain in position OF aloof-
ness from a movement which makes |
so strong a moral appeal to the con-
sciences of sthe world. The league
needs the United States and can never
do the work which awaits it with
out it's support and cooperation; and
the United States will feel increasing
ly the obligation to associate itself
with the other nations Of the world
in the great causes to which the league
is dedicated"
Now that feeling against Mr.. VIII
son has died down largely, and it is
no longer a vital matter with. any
body whether he did everything at
Paris just as everybody would have