Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 April 1920 — THE PEACE PUZZLE [ARTICLE]

THE PEACE PUZZLE

The more the proposal to make peace by “declaring” it is studied, the more ridiculous does it appear. Even many of those who favor this policy admit that peace can not be “made” in this way. Senator Lodge himself has admitted this. But suppose the resolution were passed and signed by the president. Before it could become effective, Germany would have to agree to carry out all the provisions of the treaty that affect this country, of a treaty that we have thus far repudiated by failing to ratify it. It is calculated that our claims against Germany aggregate in the neighborhood of SI,OOO,-

000,000. There is no assurance that ( she would comply with our “declara-.' tion.” It is almost certain that the German government would decline.. If it did, then It would be the duty of the president to impose a boy-1 cott. Here again is an attempt to do something that can not be done. I For duties can not be imposed on the president by congress; they are imposed only by the constitution, j The president might carry out the expressed will of congress in this matter, but he would be under no obligation to do so. Congress hav- ] ing taken into its hands the bust- j ness of making peace—or declaring it —he might well leave it to congress to finish the job. In contrast with the present folly, the words of Senator Colt of Rhode Island and a Republican, are enlightening: Peace has to be made. Terms have to be agreed upon. The common sense thing to do is to stay with our associates and to make with the common enemy the peace they made. If we permanently stay out of the league of nations, Instead of having the bulk of the world with us, we shall have 45 nations in the league all allied against us. Our Monroe doctrine will be gone, for the South American countries are going into the league. Our world leadership will be gone. The league safeguards the Monroe doctrine, and every nation that enters it by that very act agrees and consents to that doctrine. Nor should it be forgotten that Germany may at any time apply for admission to the league, and be admitted by a two-thirds vote of the assembly “provided that it shall give effective guaranties of its sincere intention to observe its international obligations, and shall accept such regulations as may be prescribed by the league in regard to its military, naval and air forces and armaments.’’ The German government might very well decide that association with 45 nations was greatly to be preferred to siich a peace with the United States as it is proposed to proffer.

To this controversy are two parties, and the only way to end that controversy is by agreement between the parties. Such an agreement has already been made, and it is for us to say whether it. shall go into effect. Senator Colt is entirely right when he says that “the common sense thing to do is to stay with our associates and to make with the common eneAy the peace they made.” The only alternative is to follow the example of him of whom it is said in Scripture that he is “a wild ass alone by The writhings of congress over this peace question are amusing to onlookers; they must be painful to the writhers. —Indianapolis News (Rep.) writhers. ***** There is no reason why there should' be —as it is said there is not —an interest in the absurd resolution now pending in the house the purpose of which is to “declare” that, peace exists. But the poim that desired to make is that congressmen are still thinking of peace in connection with the narrowest sort of politics. In a Washing-

ton dispatch printed recently in this paper it was said: Many of the Republicans in both senate and house are saying that the only purpose of the resolution is to camouflage the treaty situation; that the real object of the resolution is to give the majority an excuse for keeping hands off the treaty of peace for the time being. That is, “the only purpose” and “the real object” are purely political,

and the aim is to win a party advantage at the expense of the public interest. Such, at any rate, is the view of “many of the Republicans in both senate and house.” We shall never get ahead with this business of making—not "declaring”— peace until we are prepared to deal with it on the basis of patriotism rather than partisanship. Unfortunately we are called on to consider this great question, and the vital issues that grow out of it, in a presidential year, when the temptation is so great to subordinate everything to the election of a president. But nevertheless here is a great world problem to be faced —and solved. It can not be got out of the way, or evaded. The treaty Itself, every one now sees, is not disposed of, the recent action of the senate having settled nothing. Senator Lodge informed the country last November, after the senate had failed to ratify, that the treaty was dead. But it was not dead then, nor is it dead now. Nor can it be "camouflaged" by the pending resolution, or anything else. It is doubtful whether that resolution can pass the senate; it is certain that it would, if it reached him, be vetoed by the president. We are merely trifling with a situation that is serious, and may become dangerous. If we could, to quote the words of Chairman Hays, regard everything but ratification “as chores” we should soon have a peace that would amount to something.—lndianapolis News.