Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-11
MEMBER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Friday. July II, 1919.
Tho Presidents Address

ton by the ton is piled about the
Chamber. the Offices and the historic
building. One year ago the great
conflict was on the Marine, six months
ago on the Seine. today the Potomac.
Defenders of the Covenant are grim
~ repeating: They shall not pass"
The leaders of the drive" to open
with the coming week have fixed no
date but are determined to dine in
the White House.
On Thursday the President SHE'D
his castor into the arena midst wild
cheering and rebel yells. The walls
OF the edifee that is supposed never
to have heard aught but most melli- I!
fuous and pleasingly modulated
phrases. seen aught but most digni-
fed attitudes. smelled aught but
grape juice and milder odors. felt
aught but warm and benefcent i'm !
pulses, must have been scandalized. !
For surely We have been told that the
very walls have ears, and the Con-
gressional Record is living proof Of
the ayes and noeses
. Did the President take the coun-
try's lawmakers and the people into
his confidence
We knew you would ask that first
And We had hoped TO answer il d.
rectly from unquestioned conviction
that he did-but, feeling that each
reader must judge from what he or
she reads into the words Of Mr.. vii.
son. We are offering the proof of the
Peace Treaty and League Covenant
pudding. Let each partake and di-
gest.
Certainly we have our own opinion
OF the Presidents utterance, and it is
no secret. We are not lodging the
issue: we have not from the start, for
we have believed il the greatest
problem confronting civilization:
that it was the vital affair Of every
body on earth; that it was superior
to individual. class. party or national
interest alone. and that every mind
should do its best to help solve it in
the interests Of all humanity.
Bluntly. we fail to see that the
President has added anything to
what already had been said. The
atmosphere has not been cleared by
his eloquent. pleasing and I'M
doubtedly best effort Great things
hung upon his words of yesterday,
the President we'll knew. and so.
without question. he put into his ad-
dress presenting the Treaty embody-
ing the League Of Nations. the very
finest Of which he was capable.
We had almost hoped (yet felt it
impossible) that President Wilson
would be able to- reveal such new
reasons and describe such wise So
lutions in compromise as would make
the task of the Senate comparatively
simple from this time on. But, ac-
cording to our understanding of his
utterance he has not done so. To us
1t seems that Taft, Wickersham. DR..
Lowell. Hamilton Holt. Kuhn, Frank.
Blanshard and other authorities on
international affairs have covered the
ground, in many instances in a way
better understood by all classes
Too many readings of the Pres
ident's phraseology are possible. He
has not convinced the L. S. Senate
we doubt if he has won a single vote
for the Treaty or Covenant in that
body.
And so we come to the contest in
the U. S. Senate. the more or less
bitter dealing with the arguments of
opponents arrayed. not as partisans
but according to convictions formed
from study of the terms arranged at
the Versailles conference that worked
at fever heat until days merged into
weeks and weeks into months.
That the Senate will ratify the
Treaty and Covenant-which are
really two separate propositions al
though purposely interviewer into
one-and that certain important
reservations will be made by the
Senate with respect to the Covenant
continues to be probable. Although
some members Of the Senate. feel
very strongly that it is their duty to
separate the Covenant from the
Treaty there is no more sign than
there was some days ago that the
votes can be mustered to effect such
q separation. Moreover there are
some distinct symptoms of increasing
support for the policy of making
reservations. No doubt the letter Of
former Senator Root to Senator
Lodge under date Of June 21st. has
had weight but there have also been
other factors.
Some Of the most prominent mem.
hers Of the Senate for mkny weeks
haze taken the position hat what.