The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-06-28

Idey ouJeet 10 10 IoI Europe to attempt
or to have the power TO come over on
this side of the Atlantic and try to do
the same thing for the American CONT
sent.
Historians like Senators Lodge and
Knox know only too well what the league
of nations which was formed at the con-
gress of Vienna tried to do in the way
of thwarting the United States in its
efforts to settle its territorial problems
when this country began taking over
Spanish holdings in North America. The
then league of nations tried to send an
army here to preserve this territory for
Spain, but England, which by that time,
had practically withdrawn from the
league, declared that it would not con-
sent to any such arrangement
There are % wars going on in Europe
today, all growing out of the world war
and the attempted settlement at the peace
conference All opponents of the pro-
posed league of nations covenant, Sem
ators Lodge, Knox, Borah, johnson and
the rest, agree that the United States
has no business trying to settle these
wars They are for the most part racial
or else they are founded upon peo-
pies aspirations without regard to polti.
cal boundaries
In combating the covenant of the
league Of nations in its present form, the
opponents are not attempting to say
either that there should be no society of
nations or that in such a league, America
has no place. What they do object to
is placing the United States in the posi-
ton where it will have to come to the
aid of the European powers every time
there is any policing to do to keep sub
lugated peoples within defined territories,
and to the invasion of the Monroe Doe
trine contained in article 10. Wherein
the two schools differ, is in the method
of bringing about such readiustment of
the league covenant that it will not com
nit the United States to an entire change
of policy and to dangerous enterprises of
doubtful honor.
Ihe scheme which is shaping itself in
the minds of Senators Knox and Lodge is
to try to make certain reservations in
regard to article 10 and the other mat
tiers mentioned in the Root letter, and
to make the ratification of the treaty as
a whole conditional upon the formal ac'
ceptance by all the signatories to the
treaty of these reservations. Only by at.
tachng such a condition to the reserva.
tions, the senator's say, can the reserva
tions themselves be made to stand In
other words, the treaty will not be rati
fled by the senate until these reservations
are agreed in advance.
1t is argued that President Wilson can
before the senate takes any action il
the matter, ask the powers to assent tc
these reservations. That he will not do so
however, is almost a foregone conclusion
| 1t is conceded by the senators that TEN
peramentally it would be impossible fol
him to take such action. The only Other
course, which the senators see, is to mus
| ter enough votes to defeat the treaty
which takes only one-third of the senate
and these votes they believe they have
The other school of thought, as repre-
scented by Senator's Borah and johnson
does not hold with the theory that reser
vations can be made They contend tina
the treaty must be amended, and that j
| it is not amended, it must be rejected
entirely. 1t takes a majority to amend
and that majority cannot be found ii
! the senate at this time, consequently
their method comes to the same end a
the method of Senator Knox and Lodge
provided they fail to get the reservation
they want, namely, defeat of the treaty
But the proponents of the Knox theor
declare that they have a better chanc
of getting through reservations than the
/ have of amending the whole treaty, an
that an amended treaty would be niue
, more difficult to have ratified by othe
| signatories than a ratification couple
: with reservations and depending upo
: them
n 1t is not being overlooked here tha
0 certain large financial interests are 81
e erting their Trojan strength to have til
t treaty ratified as it stands, just as the
worked heroically and subterraneanly
: Paris to secure just the kind of a treat
that was made. Selfishly their interes
will be best served by keeping the leagr
A OF nations covenant just as it is for
would give the American information
/ bankers a tremendous leverage in Europ
l an finances, which with such a leagl
behind it would be tremendously prof
able. But, Wall street-so called-ms
be brought to see that American polici
Z and traditions are not to be so easily su
verted, and when they discover that wit
out reservations or amendments Il
4 league of nations cannot be retained
treaty which the senate will ratif
these bankers may agree to the propos'
changes In that case they would st
have the same dominating influence
4 European finance, though possibly n
the excessive security which they a
seeking If the bankers agree to t
changes, the work of those opposing t
present league covenant will be easy.
4 But even if the bankers do not agre
/ and the treaty is defeated, as Senat
4 Knox stakes his reputation that it W
l be, in its present form, all is not lost f
4 American business, because the sena
i would then pass a resolution deelari
/ that the state of war with Germany a
1 Austria is ended, and the American bu
ness men could then enter into comm,
1 cial relations with Germany on the sar
| parity with the British, and other /
\ tionals.
/ All of these plans will begin to mantle
l themselves when the treaty is signed a
the senate, having finished the approp
alton bills, takes up this question aga