Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-17
BRANDS
ISOLATION POLICY
DISGRACE To j. s.
BY SENATOR PAT HARRISON

German mlllldTlSLn' II SOuSuL "
right wrongs, help humanity, and
make wars in the future impossible.
Six years have passed and it would
seem incredible that the causes that
led Us into the war, and the many
high purposes then resolved, could
be forgotten in so short a time. 1t
is unnecessary to sallude to the he
roism displayed by our splendid
young men and the sacrifices of our
people. They are now part Of the
glorious history of our country-a
golden legacy to future generations.
But after all is said and done, is
it not a fitting time to take an &C.
counting and reflect upon the re-
suits? Have we done all that was
expected Of us? Is our position in
world affairs now more dominant
than when we entered the war? Are
we making the most Of our oppor-
tunities? Have we kept the faith?
To all Of these questions 1 answer,
mo"
The task laid upon the allies was
not finished when, by the terms OF
the armistice, on November IL, 1918,
cannon were hushed and arms
stacked.
The postwar problems called for
an equally high order of statesman
ship and far more patience. 1t is
in the reaction that inevitably fol-
lows the feverish condition of war
that danger lies-danger not wholly
from without, but also from within.
The Nation Divides
Under the excitement and stlmu'
lation of war, the heart throbs with
emotion and patriotism and courage
arouse all the common and united &C.
ton. 1t is then that leaders can
lead with little difficulty. But when
the shout and noise and gamor of
bate die away, and the period of
reimbursement comes, with increased
taxes, additional burdens, higher llv-
ing costs, and innumerable new and
complex problems, then confidence is
easily shaken, prejudice quickly
aroused, discomfort fomented, and
nation divided against itself.
1t is in the postwar period that
people should think straight, min
imize mistakes, magnify achieve.
ments and divest themselves Of
every narrow and little and partisan
consideration. If it were necessary
to make victory possible for the al
lied armies to hold together without
division during the war, it was more
necessary to hold together following
the war to insure mad safeguard the
fruits of that victory.
From the moment our representa-
lives began to differ as to the wis
dom of ratifying the treaty of Ver'
sailles, people abroad began to sus'
pect our sincerity and to question
our good faith. And as the opposi'
ton grew and the defeat of the
treaty became apparent, their con-
fidence turned into suspicion, their
affection into distrust.
Instead of standing by our allies
to the end, as our soldiers had done
upon the battle front, our states
broke line just when their services
were most needed. From that day
our world leadership was lost, our
commanding position weakened. The
rejection of the treaty of Versailles
and the substitution of the separate
peace treaty with Germany was not
only a betrayal of our allies, but
an insult to every man and woman
who had fought or sacrificed during
the late World war.
Laughing Stock of Europe
Not only did we, by the adoption OF
the separate treaty with Germany,
desert our allies, but during the
last two years, we have refused to
accept invitations repeatedly extend
ed to counsel and advise with them.
In no less than six international con-
ferences dealing with questions arts
ing out of the war in which our
goycrnroent was vitality Interested,
from Brussels to Lausanne, we have
rejected their appeals and held our
selves aloof in a skulking policy of
isolation.
During all that time, those nations
our allies in the late war, tied to
US by common heroism and sacrifice,
| cemented by the blood Of millions
Of heroic boys, were eXerting their
every effort to solve the problems
/ Of reconstruction, where the high
| qualities of American craftsmanship
| could have been employed in such
| hcinful serV ce-npt 7n!y for the eco
| nomic rehabilitation of Europe, but
| the business advantage Of the United
States, as we'll as the peace and civil
ization of the world-we definitely
refused to cooperate. We refused
when much of the economic chaos
was aggravated by the act Of our
own isolation. For the last two years
in our international relations we
have followed peep hole policy
a foreign policy that through the
use of unofficial observers" new
term IN the parlance of diplomacy
mas made US the laughing stock OF
Europe.
Who would have thought five years
ago, when our boys were withstand
ing the fire Of German shrapnel, the
time would so soon come when our
representative would desert our al
lies by not only refusing to accept
the treaty for which they fought, but
| they would even refuse to sit in con-
ferences and give them the benefit
Of their counsel and advice?
No American representative al
that time would have dared to sug
gest such a thought, and yet that
has been one of the results of our
foreign policy since the war.
We have by congressional enact
ment and presidential approval re-
fused the president the power to ap-
point representative on the repara'
tons commission, thereby permitting
our interests to suffer and our rights
| to be lost.
Other Nations Pay Bonus
The alien property custodian con.
tinues to function with apparently
constantly increasing duties to per
form ana just claims unpaid. The
same situation prevails with respect
to the billions loaned by us to for.
eign governments. With the excep'
ton of Great Britain, that only a
few weeks ago consummated an
agreement funding their indebted
ness to US, we have funded the in
debtedness of no other country. In
fact, if what is freely said be true,
we are doing nothing toward funding
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