Gunnison news-champion., 1921-09-09
What They Died For
New York world:-

New York wegid:-
Memsrial seviess over IL bodiss
Of eooo dsaA ssaliers Srssehf ~
fFom Fnne: a T. t!sas!ert WIS.,
on ysrc heId ea Pier No. Z q Hobek-
ee.r e fssS - ,r ss.srt d. !, - 49, e
Who psrtieiPstsd Il u a. ssrviess = ' ~
tnred . explain vhet thsss nen ks1
died fer, and n u NJ Z . ssDarsA.
treaty Of Psace that Nr. Harding and
n. Hughes have nsgstiated W1Gh
Germany. m attemyt 8 explanntisa
could hardly have failed 70 - oahar-
RAISING.
Al the dedieatise Of IL ceus>ery
In Gettysburg. Lincoln could plead shsf
we have highly resolved that these
dead shall not have died in vain-that
this nation. under God, shall have 4
new birth Of freedom, and that Rov-
eminent Of the people. BY the people,
iSr iSr ths people, shall not perish from
Tie historian win search tie Hard
ing Hughes Wirth tsea<y Of psace in
vain for single Vesd - indicako that
the American deAd in this war disd
for anything except the colleet3cn of
certain private claims for damages
against the German government. To
all intents and purposes the treaty
might rs well be the terms Of an agree
ment settling q suit for trespass.
In May Colonel George Harvey, Mr..
Harding's Ambassador TO Great Brit
ain, made speech at the Pilgrims
dinner in which he informed Europe
that the American people had no ideals
in the war and that we only took up
arms against German autocracy only
because 1--WE were afraid not to fight b
THAT is the real truth Of the matter"
he added. "and we came along toward
the end and helped you and your al
lies shorten the war. Thnt is all we
did and all we claim to have done"
Col. Harvey's speech was followed by
a great wave Of American protest, and
both Mr.. Harding and Mr.. Hughes
were forced by circumstances to make
speeches Of their own which were in
effect reputation Of Harvey'ssutter-
ance and which were generally con-
structed as rebuke to the Ambassa-
dor. But in this separate treaty with
Germany, Col. Harvey finds his vindi-
cation. Mr.. Harding and Mr.. Hughes
have translated the Harvey speech in
to the Treaty Of Berlin, which recog-
nizes no American aim or objct in the
war except an effort TO save our own
skins and by which we retire from
the conflict smugly satisfied with such
parts OF the swag as W were able to
seize and hold. They have stripped Il
of everything which carried the sug-
gestion Of an ideal or noble purpose.
Col. Harvey may not have UNDER
stood the American people when he
made the Pilgrims dinner speech, but
it is evident he understood the presi-
dent and the state department. He
knew their attitude toward the war
and he knew what they thought the
United States must have been fighting
for when it took up the German chal-
lenge. He knew also when they made
speeches glorifying American idealism
that it was his speech and not theirs
which would be the basis Of the treaty
of peace with Germany.
In the light Of this formal diplomat
ic expression of the Harvey Harding
principles it can be said too that the
dead in this war did not die in vain.
They died in order to validate the
American title to German private
property which the government Of the
United States took over and held to
guarantee the payment Of private
claims against tn German government.
It is for this they gave their young
lives. II is for this all the sacrifices
were made. II is for this the Ameri-
can people poured out their blood and
treasure.
It is set down in the treaty In the
precise language Of the eminent con-
tract lawyer who is now Secretary Of
State and is serving as attorney for
tn Republican senator's who dictated
the terms of peace. II is all Official
and final, for the Constitution makes
treaties when they are ratified d-even
this squalid, sordid Treaty Of Berlin
"the supreme law Of the land.n