The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1921-08-18
TRYING To MAKE
UP LOST YEARS
AMERICA UNDERTAKING TO DO
WHAT WAS PROVIDED FOR
IN VERSAILLES TREATY.
REALIZED IN WASHINGTON
Ratification of Pact in 1919 Would
Have Speeded Recovery From War
Effects and Spared Present Admin
stration Much Trouble.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.

BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
Washington.-Th new administra-
ton is reminded every day that rari-
tlcation of the Versailles treaty by the
United States senate in 1919 would
have relieved the administration of a
lot of trouble. Everyone of the
leading questions relating to interna-
tional affairs that are now up would
have been answered by ratification.
There is a general agreement that if
the treaty had been disposed Of with
in a couple of months after it was
submitted to the senate on July TO-
1919, the world would by this time
have been well on the road to recov-
cry from the effects of great war
The President, the secretary of safe
and the attorney general are still Try
ing to find out what a congrcssiOnol
technical peace resolution means. If
the treaty had been ratified no such
resolution would ever have been pro
posed, for it would not have been nee
essary, and the new administration
would have been spared all the worry
1t has taken on over the problem of
what to do with this resolution now
that It has It.
Limitation Of Armaments.
Public sentiment at home and
abroad has compelled the new admin
istration to take the initiative in a
] mn
ments. Obviously, if the Versailles
treaty had been ratified, the United
States would not have been put to the
necessity of inviting the principal al
| lied powers Of the world to meet It in
conference on limitation of urmu-
meuts. The men who wrote the treaty
saw clearly that limitation Of arma.
meuts must come If the world was to
be spared greater burden OF taxation
than 1t could bear, and If effective
steps toward preserving world peace
were TO be taken, and so the treaty
made provision for taking up the sub
ject of disarmament or limitation of
armmucht,
The representatives of other ma
lions here while giving the plan for
limitation Of ornaments their cordial
support. remark that if the United
States had ratified the treaty in the
fall Of 1919, limitation of armaments
would in all probability, be effective
today. 1t Is reasonable to assume,
these diplomats point out, that lmi-
tation OF armuments would have been
one Of the first steps taken by the
League Of Nations. Indeed, the cOun-
eli did take up this subject mt its first
meeting, but because the United
States senate had not ratified the
treaty the council did not deem it
wise to undertake to commit the other
powers TO any plan for limitation.
Then there Is the association OF ma,
has promised tho world. 1t presents
hard probiem-a problem that prom
ises 20 give the new administration
as much trouble as constitutional
peace with the central powers Of Eu-
rope or Limitation of ornaments. OF
course, If the Versailles treaty had
been ratified the new administration
would not be engaged in trying to plan
an association Of nations equally as
good as the League Of Nations
Trying TO Catch Up.
The truth Is that the United States
is today trying to make up for almost
two years Of lost time IN international
affairs. In four months Pnd a half
the new administration has become
convinced that the work of the Paris
conference was not, after ull wholly
bad. The treaty IN It's present form
can never be accepted by the United
States, the administration says-par.
! tlCuIarly that portion Of the tronty prO-
vidiug for the League of Nations bur
this government realizes not only the
Importance but the necessity of the
world doing things which the Paris
conference said it should do, and fer
which that conference made provision
I'm the treaty.
The principle underlying the foreign
policy OF the Harding administration
is almost identical with tho principle
which guided the Wilson aIuiuistrn-
tIon IN dealing With world affairs. The
former administration advocated an
afterthc.war policy Of world 20 oper.
alton. The peace conference nj Paris
undertook TO bring about that COOP
Grafton through Il League Of Nations.
The Harding administration seems dis
posed TO 20 rs far us its predecessor
in urging world cooperation. II has
a way OF It's own in approaching inter-
national subjects; II takes up things
which the former administration han.
/ died and renamcs them, but II Is strly.
Ing 70 attain the same ends which the
former administration sought to nj.
tain.
War Weapons Developed Rapidly.
While the immediate purpose Of the
five great powers I'm limitation Of
ornaments Is to save money, the ulH-
mate object Is, of course TO save
human lives. Every one of the powers
that viii be represented in the con
ference here Is concerned over the
rapid development Of destructive
weapons OF war. II Is doubtful, say
the best Of the army and navy ex-