The Washington herald., 1921-03-19
Against Ratification of
Versailles Pact, Even
Sans Covenant.
SENATE MAJORITY
SHARES HIS STAND
Met Cormick, Irreconcila-
BILE, Now on Foreign
Relations Committee.
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENsING.

American foreign policies with for
mer Premier Viviani of France and
other European ENJOYS and Repub-
Iican leaders in Congress. President
Harding holds views which may be
summarized thus:
/. He is opposed to the resubmis-
sion Of the Versailles peace treaty
to the Senate.
2. He is opposed 20 ratification of
the peace terms proper. even with
the league OF nations covenant
eliminated therefrom-
.. He is opposed to putting the
United States ints the league of ma
tions with Article y expunged. as
NJ viviani proposes. or into any
league involving participation OF
America in a permanent military al
Iiance.
| a. For want Of a general treaty OF
peace which the United States can
accept without surrendering its In
dependence of action and abandon
ing its traditional policy OF nom
entanglement in European affairs
the President is conslderine alter
native methods of re-esta blishing
peace with Germany. chief OF which
is the Knox resolution.
Senate Maiorityis Views.
These views are fully indorsed by
the majority of the Republican
members of the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations with. whom
the President is TO confer on the
formulation of the peace policy be-
fore the new Congress is organized
for business. -
| Senator Mccormick Of Illinois. an
irreconcfsable opponent Of the Yer
saiIles treaty and Wilson covenan;.
win be ns,g member Of the For
eign Relations Committee. the
youngest ever assigned TO that i'm
portant body. His selection for this
committee was voted yesterday BY
the Republican Committee on Com
mittees Senator Mccormick has
specialized on foreign affairs dur
ing his two years in the Senate and
has made two extensive tours OF
Europe in that time. studying war
and peace conditions
Senator Kellogg OF Minnesota. a
mild reservationist during the
treaty fight. is the other new mem
her of the committee. which will be
composed OF ten Republicans and
: six Democrats. There will be eight
; members strongly opposed 20 sc-
lceptance Of the Versailles peace
plan and eight more or less disposed
to compromise.
Future Attitude Doubtful.
Whether the President will mod
. ify his present attitude. in the light
of representations TO be made to
him by the envoys OF the allies and
Of the arguments Of pro-leaGuN
Senators is a matter OF considerable
speculation. As the problem now
presents itself the President. ac-
cording 10 leaders who have sound
ed him. sees no possible course but
the complete rejection of the Yer
sailles treaty and the restoration Of
} peace with Germany by other meanr.
The allies are expected to put
forth q prodicious effort TO per
suade Mr. Harding to accept the
treaty. with whatever reservations
the United States elects TO make In
order to keep clear Of entanEie-
ment in European affairs. what
they want chiefly IL American in
dorsement OF the reparations cN-
acted OF Germany. They are willing
to revise the covenant. some of
them. at least. appear ready to a.
vorce the covenant from the treaty.
but whether they are willing TO re-
write the peace terms remains to he
seen Lloyd George was quoted
some time ago as asserting that the
treaty must be revised. but France
did not echo the sentiment.
More Probable Terms.
Apparently the only possible
terms on which the Versailles treaty
could be accepted would be the
elimination OF the covenant and
such reservations to the peace
terms as would leave the United
States subscribing 70 little beyond
the termination Of the war and the
payment of American damage
claims against Germany. ~.
Some Senators are urging a peace
conference between the Unitef
States and Germany TO necotiste
separate peace. Most Of the rres
dents advisers. however. incline 70
favor the Knox resolution under
which peace would he re-establish-
ed by declaration Of Congress. the
settlement of war accounts with
Germany made later in a treaty and
Ian American policy OF cooperating
with European powers to preserve
peace declared.
/ "If this be a separate peace. make
the most of IT," say the advocates
Of the Knox resolution. The allies
made peace separately under the
provision that the Versailles treaty
came into effect by separate rstif-
cations. We cannot accept the peace
treaty they made. and the only re-
course Is 30 make peace separately
Yourselves"