The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-03-19
War Outlawry and the Senate

When it comes to scheming schemes for world
peace, says Vscont Cecil, one of the best friends
America has the other side of the Atlantic, the
United States is long on words but short on Deeds
We proposed tire League of Nations he explains,
but refused to join it ourselves. We helped set up
the World Court but scorned it, it got going We
continually are scodng the rest of the world for
ring so much, but slip away when it comes time to
assume little of the responsibility for insuring its
peace.
In short, says this British statesman, if Europeans
dislike us-and he assures quite frankly that they
dot is largely because we don't practice what we
so pously preach
Which raises an important question: Is Secretary
of State Kellogg sure that he is not letting in for
more criticism of the same kind? he positive in
his own mind that the United States Senate would
ratify, without reservation or qualification his
reserved and unqualified treaty to outawry of every
kind?
1t would be hard to imagine anything more sweep
ing than the anti-war agreement which the secre-
tary of state would enter into with France, England,
Germany, Italy and Japan. Suppose these five ma
tions took him up. What becomes of the Monroe Doc
trne and policy of the open door, for exampleP
Let's state hypothetical case Suppose Britain,
some time in the future, looked upon the rich new
Venezuelan oil fields and decided to them. But
for the Monroe Doctrine this would be absolutely
of our business She would not be attacking us in
any way shape form. What would, or could, we
do under the proposed treaty?
Suppose Japan took over the northern provinces
of Colombia next door to the Panama canal, or
bought or otherwise acquired, Lower California
where would we stand the Kellogg agreement?
Or suppose a Nicaraguan government piqued at
Washington should ask France, or Germany, or Eng
land or Japan, Italy to protectorate over
her What then?
China could be dismembered and parceed out
among the great nations, as she came near being
thirty years ago by pretty much the same powers
which Secretary Kellogg invites into unquali-
fed anti-war agreement with
SO much for that. Already Europe is hooking us
because with hand we are proposing formal
outlawry of war to the world, while with the other
we are voting $274OOOOn0 to build warshps
And tacge is logic in her mockery. For if we ever
formally agree with the only other naval powers not
to keep our word, what need have we of Navy?
The truth doubtless is this country hardly will
agree to any such unqualified remuneration of war as
the world now is being led to believe. The Senate
will have final say and cooking up multiplying
ervations VIGOROUSLY of the best things it does
Far be it from this newspaper to utter one word
against any step in the direction of universal peace
short and faltering though such step may be. But
IN view OF the numerous false starts we have made
in that direction in the last ten years, it behooves
us not to be too insstent upon this scheme being
accepted by the rest Of the world without reservations
we may back on a few ourselves. Europe may
have the laugh us again.