The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-02
UNDERWOOD BRINGS.
 OUT HIDDEN FACTS. IN SEPARATE PEACE.
Continually Interrupted as He Spoke on the Knox ReSoIu- lion With Questions From
 Leading Republicans
By HUGH W. ROBERTS Washington Bureau The AEe-Herald
 800 Davidson Building

300 Davidson Building
 Washington May 1.-(Special.)-- Much of the futility if not hypocrisy contained in the so-called separate peace" resolution of senator Knox, which has been accepted by the Sen ate, will be accepted by the House, and approved by the President, was revealed in course of a series of questions and answers which interrupted the conti- nuity of the speech of Senator Under wood, democratic leader.
 In pressing interrogations, Senator Edge of New Jersey. often referred to ah one of the spokesmen of President Harding, intimated very plainly that the executive regarded the Knox reso- lution as nothing of serious import, and that it was his purpose, at the proper time to submit the Versailles treaty denuded of certain unacceptable" fea- lures. It was unmistakably deduced, also, that after the passage of the Knox resolution, the United States will be forced to withdraw its troops from Ger man territory, irrespective of the ex- tent of the embarrassment such action would cause the allies. It was the dem ocratic contention, which no republican challenged, that it would be an act of war were the United States, following the passage of the Knox resolution. to
 
 of German territory.
 Senator Underwood had declared that the enactment of the Knox resolution would constitute "the last scene in the tragedy" Senator Edge of New Jersey then occupied the limelight He de- manded:
 SERIES OF QUESTIONS
 Does the senator from Alabama con- sider that the passage of the resolution xaynt In tha I, administration has given us it's views, as to how we should proceed? Does the Senator feel that it would necessarily be the fina word in the negotiation of peace? Does not the senator think that 1t would be very natural and proper to consider the Versailles treaty with cer- tain changes? Why should the adop- tion of the Knox resolution prevent Congress from taking up the Versailles treaty."
 Senator Underwood-"The first para graph of the Knox resolution reads: Said state of war is hereby declared at an end. If we mean it, If we are honest, the war is ended, and there will be no further war status; and we must treaty Germany as we treat France or England or Spain, or a country of South America"
 Senator Edge-"Does the Senate for . on the part of the Senate that state of war is at an end would in any way make 1t improper or unusual for the Senate to reconsider the Versailles treaty, which has not been disposed of, but which is still in the hands of the President2"
 Senator Underwood-"T will say to the senator that there are some things that we can do but once. The senator can be born only once. and he can die only once. A government In particu- lar instance can declare war only once, and it can declare peace only once. Of course, this resolution means something or it means nothing. If you think it is not a valid joint resolution, that it is merely a puff of wind to satisfy some body. that is different but If it means what you say. that the war is at an end then there are no further peace ne- gotiations that we can enter into"
 Senator Edge-"Mr. President, does it not mean simply an expression of an existing fact that there is no longer any war;"
 Senator Underwood-"If that is all you mean by it,swhy do you propose to repeal the joint resolution of April. 1917 declaring that a state of war existed? If you simply say to the world that we recognize that we have withdrawn our armies from the battle lines; that we no longer hold our cannon in the face of the Germans, that we are no longer mobilizing our men--if that is all you mean by 1t, why do you want to repeal the declaration that we made in April 1917. that Germany had declared war against uS?'
 Senator Edge-"So far as that techni- cal point is concerned, l frankly admit that I see no reason for stating the matter in that way. But it Is entirely a legal question and one in which I shall not attempt to enter"
 Senator Underwood-"It is a legal question that will haunt us in the fu- ture."
 OTHERS INTRUDE
 At this point, other senators intruded themselves into the discussion"
 Senator Jones of New Mexico in- quired: After this joint resolution is passed. would it be possible under any kind of legal construction to call any treaty which thereafter might be en- tered into a peace treaty." To which Senator Underwood answered: "It is clear to me that we could not call it a peace treaty." q
 Senator Mex ellar of Tennessee re- quested Senator Underwood at this juncture to discuss the effect of the withdrawal of American troops just at this critical stage of the affairs be- tween Great Britain and France, on the one side and Germany on the other"
 .sOf course" answered Senator Un- derwood, the minute this joint resolu- ton is passed, if it means what it says a state of war between this country and Germany no longer exists. and there will be no reason in the world for keep ing an American soldier in France one hour longer"
 Senator Williams of Mississippi inter- posed with the suggestion that the United States would have absolutely no right to occupy Germany, following the passage of the resolution. He added: .'The only right that France and Eng Hand have to keep soldiers there now is under the terms of the treaty and the only right that we have is under the terms of the armistice recognizing, state of war as still continuins, so that if the state of war ceases. and we are not a party to any treaty with Ger. many, we have no right at all to main tain single soldier in Germany"
 Tt would be an act of war if we keep them there" suggested Senator