Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-12-19 | Page 9 | Knox Suggests Deferring League until after Peace

KNOX SUGGESTS DEFERRING LEAGUE UNTIL AFTER PEACE WASHINGTON. Dec. 1 S. Declaring that the widest diversity of opinion exists ex-ists regarding formation of a league of nations and on the definition of freedom of the seas. Senator Knox of Pennsylvania, Pennsylva-nia, formerly secretary of stale, in an address to the serate today urged postponement post-ponement of these ciit;stioi:s until after the peace conference. Just before Senator Knox spoke the foreign relations committee had decided to delay action until Saturday on his resolution, reso-lution, which would record the senate In favor of s"eh postponement, and also call for the withdrawal of American military and naval forces from Europe and abrogation abroga-tion of the president's extraordinary war powers. Chairman Hitchcock said later that division di-vision of opinion in the committee on the resolution was not confined to party lines. He would not predict what action' finally might be t;iken. The function of the peace conference, 1 Senalor Knox declared in the sinate, is to settle issues with the enemy. Revision Revi-sion of marine ktws and a Iiague of nations, na-tions, he said, "are issues between the allies themselves," and neut mis, and should not be complicated with "simple demands" of the peace, treaty. Instead of a league of narions. Senator . Knox suggested a "definite entente, pro- vided it be a small and natural one. hnng-1 hnng-1 ing only limited and appropriate obiiga-1 obiiga-1 tions." The league of nations," he said. , should "await exhaustive consideration." Senalor Pitt man. Democrat of Nevada, declared the Pennsylvania senator by his speech and his resolution is confusing in tiie minds of the people of this country and : the world the causes that led us into the war and the aspirations of a na Uon in making peace."