Evening star., 1924-10-26
PLAN FOR VERSAILLES
TREATY REVISION SCORED
La Toilette Foreign Policy Declared
Fraught With Many Elements of Euro.
pean Complications for U. S. i'm Future.
ny FRANK II. SIMONDS.


foreign policy leading to Il re-
vision of the treaty of Versailles
c"mformahle to the terms of the ar
mistice. This declaration has been
much discussed in regions in
which there is considerable Ger
man American population and, on the
testimony of many expert observers,
has had a very real appeal to this
class of voters. 1t raises many in
'rrestnS questions and aside from
the domestic political aspect certainly
requires some elucidation.
1t is fair to assume that this decla-
ration. repeated frequently by Senator
"A Toilette himself, means that if
and when the Wisconsin Senator be
comes President he will undertake
to bring about r revision of the
treaty of Versailles. While the
method is not forecast, it is also fair
To assume that il would take the
form of an invitation to the nations
signatory to that treaty to meet in
conference to discuss revision. AS
the United States was not signatory
to the treaty, the invitation would,
in this respect, be Il little unusual.
but this is Il relatively minor matter.
What is significant is that the
United States would invite the pow
crS SiSnatory to the treaty and bene-
filing by it to meet for the express
Phi f'St WI dbbHhbHlHz certain thlHSS
which they acquired by the treaty
and as a result of the war. things
which, To the mind of the Progress
Sives. were not acquired In con-
formity with the armiSticc of Novem-
Der IL, 1918. In issuing such an invi-
tation the United States would not
act as a party in interest, for we
acquired nothing in money or terri
tory; it would not act as nation
in VitInn nthprS share sur
render of property acquired; it would
act simply on behalf of Germany call
ing uDon its former Co-belliSerentS
to surrender to the eN-enemy terri
tory and other things acquired un-
der the treaty.
without Precedent.
1t goes without saying that such an
invitation would he without precedent
in history and might be compared to
:: request of European nations after
the Spanish American or Mexican
Wars that we hand back territories
acquired by the treaties or peace
which terminated those contests
What the American response to Such
an invitation would have been can be
left to the individual ina aEination, but
the parallel must be appreciated.
Now the treaty Of Versailles falls
into two parts, SO far as the purpose
Of the present discussion is concerned.
that which covers the ACQUISITION OF
territory from Germany and that
which deals with reparation. ] as
sumo that both would III the minds of
the Progre SSiVeS call for revision.
The nations which acquired territory
from Germany are Great Britain,
.Tapan, France. Belgium, Poland,
Jithuania, CzechoSiovakia and Den
mark. The last was not, of course,
belligcrent All save Britain and
ferritnrN E,UFODe.
while France profited both in Europe
and in Africa.
The Progressive party then envis-
ages a conference which would be
called by the United States to invite
these nations to resign such OF their
territorial gains as seems to the Pro-
gressives taken in conflict with the
;trmistice of RethondeS. In addition,
Italy and Rumania, which gained no
German territory and Jugoslavia,
which is in the same position, might
be parties in interest, since they share
to a limited degree in the German
repartions payments. In reality,
then, the United States would under
rake to bring to booktfOr the purpose
of compelling SurrCndcrS practically
all of the opponents OF Germany in
rhc war save Russia together with
the three most conspicuous of the So
called succession states. And in such
p conference quite obviously all the
nations invited would have Il COM.
mon interest in preventing the re-
vision sought, since all would stand
to lose.
Anne erican Claims to Direction.
Since we undertook no sacrifice or
surrender on our own part the single
basis of approach for our representa-
tives would be the assertion that Amer
lean aid made the common victory pos
sible and that. since we had provided
The decisive aid at the crucial moment,
We were entitled to ask a revision of
the treaty terms, notwithstanding the
fact that those terms had been in part
made by our own representatives to
the peace conference and as a whole
signed by our delegation, which in
Guided the President.
Now specifically what would we ask?
The question is a bit difficult because
the whole issue rests upon the as
sumption that the treaty terms were
not in conformity with the armiStice,
an assertion which would be at once
challenged by all concerned. To take
an example: The colonies of Germany
were divided between Japan, the British
Empire and France. They were all,
however, transferred to these nations
through the medium Of the League of
Nations and my mandate, which would
DflnS us DIT once INTO CONTACT Will tHe
league, to which we do not belong and
would not join as result of a pro-
EreSsve victory.
Waving this point, however, we
! should, in effect, invite, not alone Great
Britain. but Australia, New Zealand
! and South Africa, which hold former
German territory by mandate to turn
over to Germany such of their holdings
as we Judged were wrongfully taken,
having regard for the terms of the
arrnistice We should make the same
demand of France and of Japan. What
the response of the Japanese would be
at the present stage in our relations
with that country may he dismissed
. from consideration as to the French,
their state of mind may b. imagined.
PATIENTLY however, if these several ma
tions and dominons declined the matter
would drop, for / do not understand
that the Progressive platform envisages
The use of force, of our force to bring
about a revision.
Exclude Alsace-LOrrnine.
Looking now to Europe, 1T is fair
to assume that even the Progress
sives would raise no question over
Alsace-Lorrsine, since that was pref
ty definitely covered in the armistice
terms, as well as in the IA points.
] shall assume the same for the por-
tion Of Slesvig retroceded by Ger
many to Denmark because a pieols-
cite preceded the return and the vote
was to / for the Danish connection.
And not even the Germans raise any
serious protest over either OF these
issues. AS to the Sarre, it remains
under the control of the league and
is bound to go back to Germany as
: the result of plebiscite 10 years
hence.
nc