Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-16
RAIIEY H TREATY

The final vote on the Four Power treaty will be taken
in the senate March "a. Upon this treaty depends the peace
of the Pacific. It ought to be ratified without reservations.
The United States wants peace-honorable peace
more than anything else. But the United States alone can
ne. Guarantee itself peace without spending billions OF dol
lars on building up and maintaining a great army and navy.
But even by forcing this burden upon the taxpayers there
would be no real guarantee of peace. Germany has proven
the fallacy of the miHtaristic policy, besides, who wants
America to take the place of Prussia in the family OF nations?
The surest and most satisfactory way to maintain peace
is for the different nations to get together and reach certain
agreements mutually satisfactory. Just as it takes two to
make a quarrel, so it takes two to prevent trouble. 1t IS
folly, therefore, for the United States to think that this
country can stand alone in al. things. This country is too
big, too powerful, too influential either to ignore others or
&c be ignored by them. The United States has become a
world power and as such must play its part in world affairs.
The greatest opportunity for leadership was lost when
the senate refused to ratify the treaty OF Versailles with the
covenant of the League of Nations. Had the United States
accepted this treaty and entered into the task of restoring
the world to a peaceful basis as enthusiastically and as en-
ergetically as it went into the war most OF the world prob
lens would be well OH the road to settlement by this time.
The next best thing, however, was the Washington con-
ference which was called by President Harding. Once more
American craftsmanship under the leadership of Secretary
Of State Hughes exerted itself. Open diplomacy was played
as never before. In opening the conference Secretary
Hughes boldly laid his cards on the table. His %audacity
startled the world, but it succeeded.
The outcome of that conference WA the drawing up of
several treaties, the principal one of which is now before the
senate. In this treaty the four powers most interested in
the GdCIIC dSFcc u fGSpcCb otIOi . CliiIoiS VI VO
next ten years, and should any outside nation attack any OF
these four powers they all agree to confer as to the best
course to pursue to preserve peace.
If the United States is sincere in its desire for peace,
and we believe that the great mass of the American people
are, the least tbs country can do is to enter with the others
into this understanding. OF course, this nation cannot
participate in the advantages of this agreement without also
assuming its share of the responsibilities. This is where
the opponents of the treaty fail to measure up to the require
ments of true Americans. They seem to look upon America
as a great big over grown baby that has gathered into its
lap nearly all of the candy in sight and is afraid to associate
with other children even though they are much smaller and
weaker, for fear the others Will get the best of him.
Most of the Americans have more confidence in their
country and in their leaders than that. They understand
the important place that this nation occupies in the world,
they realize that little that is worth while can be done in
Strengthening out economic conditions or in guaranteeing
peace without this c%ountry's participation, and they are ready
TO go forward to play a real mans part in whatever there is
70 be done.
There is nothing hidden or mysterious about the Four
Power treaty. 1t means exactly what it says and, to be worth
anything at all, naturally carries certain responsibilities that
the nations accepting it must assume. But when we realize
the object OF the treaty with the investment of untold billions
in armament as the only alternative. there is only one thing
yr the senate to do. Ratiiy.