Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-11-27


treaty of peace into parliamentary position where they
sembe two horse jockeys trading Each thinks it has
gained the better end of the bargain.
Senator Lodge the republican leader in the United
Senote declares The treaty dead this
concerned He adds this parting shot to the democratic
minority: Thcy killed it just told them they would if
they voted against it,"
Hitchcock che leader of the administration forces
in the Senate declares the other hand that the
treaty rot dead but republicans be held responsible
for killing IT,
The Free Press iong ago ntimated that both political
parties seemed to be shaping action the treaty with view
to the creating of campaign issue it connection
with the national election Of 1920 The present situation and
the declaration Of the rival party leaders have vnd
Gated that diagnosis of the case.
Accepting this view of the situation would logically
and naturally proceed the step asking the
American voters likely to take the relative of
the courses of the two political parties in connection with the
treaty we assume in this connection that while the
tatVs OF the two parties will take the position of lawyers
pleading in court for their respective Sides the people
whole will take the position Of grand jury making indie
pendent investigation Of the case for themselves.
The american public will start out with the proposition
peace looking especially to promotion of permanent peace
the world One Of the chief means of assuring
establishing of justice for all people, the guarding of weaker
between nations and the self determination Of Countries a.
their ewn government
% s H R the ss
believe in these fundamental principles Of and
The foundation was we'll laid. Did the builders of the
peace palace at Versailles follow strictly these specifications?
question determna-
on Of the whether the republicans or the democrats
TOOK the right course in connection with the proposed rafca
President Wilson himself has admitted that the treaty
was not in all things what he thought should be- Things
that he the George Washington threat leave
the peace conference Britain and France and Italy
ing on the supposo that there should another Asace
Lorraine created in 1919 in 1871 constitute the
Moreover had stood for the open door, Chinese
and this policy well the principle of self
on under the covenant of the League of Nations against
powerful neghbors territorial and political encroachmen de-
peace sure justice for China President Wilson this
as long he felt he could withstand the pact
Japan Britain and France, but he says he finally
strained yield by the threat of Japan the conference
woo President Pre- ss4 Wilson's plea this point that the treaty
Senate well as the American people should accept
the %a% s Tt
tuition of the United States absolutely specifically provides
question up to this point is not Whether the treaty the
best the could but whether is the best that
the Constitution Of the United States '0 ''''''
If the President, instead of taking partisan ground
representative of the American people, conempates he
wou nave gone into the Paris conference with the
however he issued appeal for democratic United States
senate to support him that moment he notified the nations
that might be held seeking only the support Of his party
aqa e % S the divided he
son played losing game accordingly.
President Wilson after his final return to the United
States had been in position stick end to the claim
mat the treaty was right and should not be changed the
IN tne next national campaign would not be what is
II ne had persisted that the treaty should be ratified without
the issue would be clear cut yes no. to it's
ratification. ~
Unfortunately for the administrations original
on President Wilson finally constrained approve of
the introduction by Senator Hitchcock of reservations as
substitute for those adopted by the foreign affairs committee
under the leadership of Senator Lodge.
Having endorsed changes by his own party President
Wilson logically and politically estopped going before
the American people in the next national campaign claim
ing that the proposal of reservations by the republicans
vigorous Amercansm wrong If he and the democrats
had the right to consider reservations connection the
resolution of ratification of the treaty. manesty the repu-
can majority of the Senate logically and under the constt-
ton has the right
The issue before the American people therefore,
whether the treaty peace should have been ratified with the
republican reservations the democratic reservations
put the case in another the issue where should
be- between the merits of the treaty would stand with
democratic reservations and with republican reservations
If President Wilson did not think the Shantung provision
right in Paris at the outset his final acceptance pro-
test did not make it right If the territorial njustces the
treaty the inequality of voting in the league
regarded him wrong Paris they have right
in America because of political international expediency
The Anor who want What 10 rirbf