The Thames Star. TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1919. RATIFICATION

Thames Star, Volume LII, Issue 13930, 8 July 1919, Page 2

The Thames Star.

TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1919. RATIFICATION

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Peace will legally reign on earth once more when the treaty, signed by the belligerents,: has been, ratified by the respective Parliaments. So far as Germany is concerned the Allies are taking no chaitucesj for the blockade will not 'be lifted until the German Assembly confirms the actiomi of the delegates who signed for the German Republic. Apparently, however, the Germans are in a hurry to get the whole business over and done with. They realise pretty thoroughly by thi® time that nothing can be gained, and ' much lost .by delay, so that it is -not likely that delays in ratification will be due to thena. But with the Allies it is different^ aaid in the United States the situation &si especially compldca.ted. The tireatymaking body of the United' States is the Senate, and the Senate is framkly hostile to Wilson and' all his works. The last election made thie, Senate strongly 1 Repuiblfcan, while Wilson took as hfe peace delegates Democrats who had not i been elected to Congress, thus ( ignoring the elected representatives of the American people. It may be expected, therefore, tha.t the Senate will have something pretty strong to say, when the treaty comes before it. In Britain the position is somewhat different. During the war period it was necessary, considering the mumiber of aliens, to have very draisitiic restrictions, and press and public were pretty effectually gagged. Judging fromi the cable message printed yesterday, the Imperial Government in its Bill raitifyin^r the treaty, has some clause? confirming its war powers, and tlvs has naturally aroused " bitter hostility,' because liberty of speec'i and the liberty of the press wn.s n^r gained without a lon.g- and bi ft >•• struggle. What was aff war-time necessity is a peiace-time tyranny that cannot be tolara'ted amongst a free people- Therefore, there wil! be strong opposition' in Britain to the ratification of the treaty umlo.s? the dOTitentikjftis clauses be wit«drawmi. Itl is said that Japam will not ratify the treaty, but this i-s an unsubstantiated report. not worth serious' coinsideratwwi. Th<* present position seems to 1 us that Germany will ratify, and so will France 1, while the Umited States will probniblv do the same after 'tl:<- ---| Senate hn« .had a good deal to say j about Wilsom's '. umconstitinlt-ioiAni 1 , methods and probably '{riven. WilsT, a fright.' Britain will aLso rat'

fy without delay, "just ais soon ns the obnoxious clauses of the B/ill are withdrawn.