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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1923)
Treaty Unread, Says Lloyd George ‘Condemned Because of Ignorance Definite Opinions Formed by Those Unfamiliar With Its Contents, Declares Ex-Premier. Good Points Are Quoted n.T THE RIGHT HONOR ABIE DAVID IXOYD GEORGE. O. M.. M. P.. FOR MER BRITISH- PRIME MINISTER. Copyright. 1933 by linltrd Feature Syndleate. Copyright In Grent Britain by Ixmdon I'hrcnlrle. Copyright Ip AiiNtrallniila by Australian Prey*. \ senriti T ion Exclusive World Rights Held by fnlted l'eoluro Syndlonte. Reproduction In Whole or In Part Pro hibited. All Rights Reserved. London, June 30—I recently have had special opportunities for appre ciating the extent to which the treaty of Versailles has not been read by those who have formed very de finite opinions concerning its quail lies. There Is no justification for failure to peruse this great International in strument. It Is the most Important document of modern times. It has reshaped for better or for worse much of the geography of Europe. It lias resurrected dead and burled na ypnalitles. It constitutes the deed of ta*/Fnumlssion of tens’ of miltions of Europeans who up to tho year of vic tory, 1918, were bondsmen of other races. It affects profoundly the eco nomics, the finance, the Industrial and trade conditions of the world, and It contains clauses upon the efficacy of which may depend the very existence of our civilization. Nevertheless, there are few men who can tell you what is in the treaty of Versailles. You might have thought that although men differed widely as to Its merits there would have heen no difficulty In securing some mea sure of agreement as to its actual contents. Every endeavor was made to give full publicity to its draft when It was first presented to the Germans, and to the final document when signed. Even before the form of the "draft was ever settled actual decisions were reported from day to day. No Two Men Agree. Never was a treaty so reported and so discussed in every article and every particle of its constitution, and now you eon procure an official copy from any bookseller for the moderate price of 50 cents. In spite of that, no two men who happen to profess diverse opinions as to its Jnstice or injustice can agree as to what is contained in it. A visitor to England in the year 1713 probably experienced the same perplexity in seeking information f-tim a whig or a tory, respectively, to the treaty of Utrecht. So this *Tias become one of these fiercely de bated subjects as to which the con testan's refuse firmly to regard any testimony nr recognize the existence of any fact which is in the least in consistent with their particular point of view. Thus It has come lo pass that the real treaty of Versailles al ready has disappeared, and several imaginary versions have emerged and conflict rages around these. Two Schools of Thought. In France there are two nr threw schools of thought concerning the Versailles treaty. There Is one pow erful section which has always re garded tt as a treasonable pact in which M. Clemenceau gave away solid French rights and Interests in a mo ment of weakness under pressure from President Wilson and myself. That is the Poincare, Barthou, Per tinax school. That Is why they are now, whilst In form engaged in en forcing the treaty, in fact carrying out a gigantic operation for amend ing it without consulting the other signatories. This has come out very clearly In the remarkable report from the high commissioner of the Rhine land, which was recently disclosed. It is obvious from this official paper that whilst the French government has worked its public into a state of indignation over the failure of Ger many to carry out the treaty of Ver sailles, It was the whole time dellber ^fcL-ly organizing a plot to overthrow ijfct treaty Itself. Its representative *o%.he Rl^ne was spending French money with the consent of the French government in promoting a conspira cy to set up an independent republic on the Rhine under the protection of France. It was a deliberate attempt by those who disapproved of the moderation of the treaty of Versailles to rewrite Its clauses In terms of the militarist de mands put forward by Marshal Foch at the peace conference. Marshal Foch, being the soul of honor, want ed to see this done openly and straight forwardly. W'hat he would have done like the gentleman he is, these con spirators would have accomplished by deceit—by deceiving their allies and by being faithless to the treaty to which their country had appended its signature. That Is one French school of thought on the treaty of Versailles. It Is the one which has brought Europe to Its present state of perturbation. Second School. There Is a second school which reads Into the treaty powera and provlslona which It docs not contain and never contemplated. These crit ics maintain stoutly that M. I-triand and all other French prime ministers except M. Poincare, betrayed thplr trust by falling to enforce these im aginary stipulations. They alill hon estly believe that M. Poincare 1s the first French prime minister to have made a genuine attempt to enforce j'f'rench rights under the treaty. DR. ALLWINE Specialist in plainless extraction and restoring lost teeth by best methods. Ripe experience and per sonal attention to both. 412 Securities Bidg. AT lantlc 6A6J There is in the background a third school, which knows exactly what the treaty means, but dares not say so in the present state of French opinion. But perhaps it thinks it Is better to bide its time. That time is coming. When it does arrive let us hope it will not be too late to save Europe from the welter. In America there are also ttvo or three divergent trends of opinion about this treaty. One regards it as an insidious attempt to trap America into the European cockpit, so as to pluck Its feathers In order to line French and English bolsters. If any thing could justify so Insular an esti mate it would be the entirely selfish interpretation which is put upon the treaty by one or two of the allied governments. The other American party, I understand, defends It with vigor as a great human instrument second only in Importance to thd declaration of independence. There may be a third which thinks that on the whole It is not a bad settlement, and that It is a pity a little more tact was not displayed In getting it through the various stages of ap proval and ratification. It ia not as vocal as the rest. “Diehard” Section. In England there are at least three schools. There are critics who de nounce it as a brutal outrage upon International Justice. It is to them a device for extorting Incalculable sums of an impoverished Germany as reparations for damages artificially worked up. Then there is the other extreme. The "diehard” section more influential since it became less numerous. It thinks the treaty let Germany off much too lightly. In fact it is in complete agreement with the French chauvinists as to the rep rehensible moderation of its terms, in Britain also there Is a third party ! which regards Its provisions as con stituting the best settlement when you take into account the conflicting alms, interests and traditions of the parties who had to negotiate and agree. But take all these variegated schools together or separately and you will not find one in a thousand of their pupils could give you an in telligent and comprehensive summary of the main principles of the treaty. I doubt whether I should be far wrong In saying there would not be one in 10,000. Controversialists gen erally are satisfied to concentrate on articles In the treaty which are ob noxious or pleasing to them, as the case may be, and ignore the rest completely, however essential they may ba to true judgment of the whole. Scant Explanation. Most of the disputants are con tent to take their views from press comments and denunciatory speeches. Unhappily, the explanatory speeches have been few'. Some there are who have in their possession the full text —nominally for reference; but you will find parts of the reparation clauses in the:r copies black with the thumb marks which note the per spiring dialectician searching for pro jectiles to hurl at the object of his fury. Clauses which ease and modify the full demand are treated with stern neglect and the remainder of the pages are as pure as untrodden snow. You can trace no footprints of politicians, publicists or Journalists in the whole provinces of this un explored treaty. The covenant of the league of nations Is lifted bodily out of the text and It Is delivered to the public as a separate testament for the faithful so that the saints may not defile their hands with the polluted print which exacts justice. They have now come to believe that it never was Incorporated In the treaty of Versailles, and that It has nothing to do with that vile and sanguinary Instrument. And yet the first words of this treaty are the following; "The high contracting parties, in order to promote Interna tional co-operation and to achieve international peace and security by the acceptance of obligations not to resort to war. by the pre scription of open, just and honor able relations between nations, by the first establishment of understandings of international law as actual rule of conduct among governments, by the maintenance of Justice and scrupulous respect for all treaty obligations in dealings of organ ized peoples with one another, agree to this covenant of the league of nations." Then follow the articles of the de bated covenant. Students Surprised. A speaker who took part recently in a university debate on the sub ject told me that the under graduates exhibited the greatest surprise when he informed them that the league of nationa was founded by the Versall KEEP CLEAR COLOR OF WHITE SILKS Dr**h«r Brother*’ New Proce** Approved by Scientific Laboratories. Those white silk sport dresses will keep their clear color when they are cleaned by Dresher Brothers’ new scientific process. Printed crepes, too, can nl ways be safely cleaned at a scientifically run plant. There is no danger of running and fnding when the proper cleaning com binations are used. Because Dresher Brothers spend $15,000 a year with ten other leading cleaners of the country, they are in a position to discover new methods and bet ter equipment for cleaning clothe*. The new process used on white silks is just one of the many modern discoveries put in to effect in the plant. Dresher Brothers invite your inspection of their main office and plant, 2211-2213-2215-2217 Barn am street. For convenience, you may leave orders at any of the Dresh er branches: Brandeis, Burgess N'ash, Dresner the Tailor, 1515 Farnarn street or on the South Side, at 4625 South Twenty fourth street. Telephone AT lantie 0345 or MAjfJcet 0050. Smallest Bank in State Located at Normal, Neb. ■~nwirnrnniiriiimiiiiiiiini iw h—i -mi. — - _ * ItHCOL# Special Dispatch (o The Omaha Bee, Lincoln, June 30.—Airs of opulence, grandeur and display play no part in the physical appearance of the Normal State bank, the only financial institu tion sported at Normal, a suburb of Lincoln. Instead of the bank building in this quiet, little suburb being the edifice of architectural ty-auty to which most village inhabitants point with pride It is the tiniest, humblest and most unpretentious structure in the town and this statement includes even the lowly garages. The dimensions of Normal’s finan cial Gibraltar are 16 by 24 feet. The ceiling is 8 feet from the floor. It is the' smallest bank building in the state. The largest hit of furniture In the room is a hard coal stove. Next is the safe, probably two-thirds the size of the stove. “It was the beet safe we could buy at the time we opened the bank," It. Unzicker, cashier, said. There is a desk for the cashier and two chairs. That’s all the space left after the cashier gets in the cage. A sneeze after the arrival of the cashier might cause trouble. The walls are of beaverboard. The building stands in the center of a vacant lot and the sun shows no mercy on cashier or customers. "Well we may not be much in size but the wealth of our stockholders added is $2,000,000,” Unzicker explain ed defensively. "We do the business and some day we’ll have a bigger bank building." The resources of the bank, according to the last report tiled with the state department of trade and commerce, is $62,642.70. The paid up capital stock is $15,000. Value placed in the bank’s report on the building, the stove, the safe and all fixtures is $3,500. The bank was incorporated in 1919. les traty. A fw days ago T had a similar experience at the Oxford union. I was speaking against a motion framed to condemn the principles of the treaty as unwise and unjust. In its defense I recalled some of its outstanding features. But as most of my narrative had no bearing on reparations it was greeted wjth Impatience and crieB of "ques tlon" from a group of anti-Versail lists. . They honestly thought I was traveling outside the motion In giving a short summary of other sections of the treaty. To them It is all cpn densed In Mr. Keyne's book and pother hostile commentaries. Any thing which is inconsistent with these, or supplements the scanty or misleading statements they make, is deemed to be taipted and biased. To refer to the text itself they regard as unfair and as playing into the hands of the defenders of a wicked and oppressive pact. The actual treaty has been already put by them out of bounds, and you wander into Its forbidden clauses on pain of being put into the guard room by one or other of the intolerant factions wha patrol the highways and byways of international politics. Keel ion Ignored. In all debates on the subject in the house of commons I have only once heard the treaty Itself quoted by a critic, and, strangely enough, that was by way of approval. I have indicated one Important sec tion of the treaty to which is accord ed something of reverence due to a holy writ by an Influential section of the public. This section would be shocked if they were reminded that their devotion is given to a chapter in the hateful treaty. Take another large and important 'section which is completely Ignored by the critic—that whicli recon structs central Kurope on a basis of nationality and free choice of people Instead of on a basis of strategy and j military convenience. This is the section that liberated 1’oiand from the claws of three carnivorous em plreg that were preying on its vitals and restored it to life, liberty and independence. Tt is a section that frees the Danes of Schleswig and tho Frenchman of Alsace-Lorraine. For these oppressed provinces the treaty of Versailles is the title deed of freedom. Why aro these clauses all suppressed in controversial litera ture? Here is another of the ignored pro visions—that which sets up perma nent machinery for dealing with labor problems throughout the world and for raising tho standard of life among the Industrial workers by means of a great international ef fort. No more beneficent or more fruitful provision was ever made in any treaty. It Is so momentous, and so completely overlooked in general discussion, that I think It worth while quoting at length the general prin ciples laid down by a provision which will one day be claimed as the first groat international charter of the worker. • Labor Problem Clause. “The high contracting parties recognise that differences of cli mate. habits and customs of eco nomic opportunity and industrial traditions make strict uniformity in conditions of labor difficult of Immediate attainment. But, hold ing as they do, that labor should not be regarded merely as an ar ticle of commerce, they think that there are methods and principles for regulating labor conditions which all Industrial communities should endeavor to apply so far as their special circumstances will per mit. Among these methods and principles, the following seem to ♦ he high contracting parties to he of special Hnd urgent Importance; first, the guiding principle above enunciated, that labor should not he regarded merely as a commodity or article of commerce. Second, the r cht of association for all law ful purposes l.y employed os well as by employers. Third, payment to employed of wages adequate to maintain a reasonable standard of The Story of an Ironing Machine Haven’t you often wondered how the laundry is able to iron all your flat work so smoothly and nicely? The flat work ironer consists of a series of revolving, softly padded I rolls which gently press your sheets, | table cloths, napkins, handker chiefs, etc., against a smooth steam ironing surface. First three girls shake out the wrinkles. Then they carefully place one end of the cloth between the first of the rolls, and, as it passes through the ironer, it is given that dainty, showy sheen which every woman prizes. Our YVork Is Satisfactory and Economical 7c 5c SEMI-FLAT WET WASH (Wat Wa*h) With Raturnad Ready Flat Work Irnnad to Iron life as this is understood in their time and country. Fourth, adop tion of an eight-hour day, or 48 hour week as a standard to be aimed at where it has not already been attained. Fifth, adoption of a weekly, rest of at least 114 hours, which should include Sunday when ever practicable. Sixth, abolition of child labor and Imposition of auch limitations on labor of young persons as shall permit continua tion of their education and assure their proper physical development. Seventh, the principle that men and women should receive equal remuneration for work of equal value. Eighth, a standard set by law in each country with respect to conditions of labor should have due regard to the equitable economic treatment of all workers lawfully resident therein. Ninth, each state should make provision for a system of inspection, in which women should take part, in order to in sure enforcement of laws and reg ulations for the protection of the employed.” It will take long before the princi ples propounded in the covenant of the league under labor articles are fully and faithfully carried out, but in both a good deal of quiet and steady progress has already been attained. M. Albert Thomas is an admirable chief for the labor bureau. He has zeal, sympathy, tact, energy and great organizing talent. He Is press ing along with patience as well as persistence. But that Is another question. It raises grave issues as to the execution of the treaty. Public Misled. What I have to deal with today is the misunderstandings which exist as to the character of the treaty itself. The British public is certainly being deliberately misled on this point. Why are these sections which emancipats oppressed races, which seek to lift the worker to a condition above des titution snd degradation, and which build up a breakwater against the raging passions which make for war, never placed to the credit of the treaty of Versailles? That type of controversialist who is always advertising his idealism has made a point of withholding these salient facts from the public which he professes to enlighten and Instruct. There is no more unscrupulous do hater in the ring than one who af fects to be specially hlghmlnded. I do not mean the man who is possess ed of a really high mind, but the sort which is always posing as having been exalted by grace Rbove his fel lows. He Is t* e pherlsee of the con troversy. Beware of him, for he har bles and misquotes and suppresses to suit hts arguments or prejudices In a way that would make a child of this world blush. That Is why 1 venture to put In a humble, although, I fear, belated plea for the reading of the text, the whole text and nothing but the text of the treaty of Versailles. It is the only fair way of arriving at a just conclusion of the merits of the treaty which holds in its hands the destiny of Europe for many generations. Reds Cancel Vladivostok Fur and Fishing Licenses Vladivostock. June 29.—The depart ment of furs and fisheries has Issued a declaration that all old contracts entered into by the department, be fore the advent of the red troops Into the Primoria now are null and void. Former leaseholders may renew their contracts before March 20. All other fishing leases will be put up for auc tion and the terms under which fish eries may be leased will be published by the government. All foreigners, as well as Russians, may take up fisheries on the condi tions offered by the government. Our Special Fourth July Offer For Monday and Tuesday It it the lightest portable phonograph of quality made. Weight lett than 16 poundt. Comet in fine wood cate; tuitable for home at well at pic nict and camping partiet. Only $34.50 with 12 Selections HERE IS OUR OFFER Purchase a Spencerian Portable Phonograph tomorrow or Tues day and we’ll give you your choice of 12 selections of special Fourth of July records. Terms arranged if you so desire! Be Sure and Come In-Only a Limited Number In Stock Sdmolkr&JHdb^ioQt 1514-16-18-Do d<5><? Si* * - Omaha We Close All Day July Fourth. 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We know too that you are interested in the ingredients of YOUR bread. You want to know more than that some baker ‘ thinks" a material is the finest or best. You can be the judge, tilanro at the formula shown above. Judge Hard Roll Bread by each and all of the ingredients used in its making. And so we say: You can always have confidence in Hard Roll Bread; that we would not be sat isfied without giving Omaha Her Best Bread. Order it every day. fresh from your grocer, and you'll find it uniform in its goodness day in and day out. Petersen & Pegau Baking Company And remember! The Petersen & Pegau linking Co. is the only large Omaha bakery owned and operated entirely by Omaha men