Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-07-16
AS THE SENATOR'S SEE IN

in the expressions OF senators with reference to the pres.
ident's address in presenting the peace treaty last week
An inspection Of brief statements made by various mem
bers reveals the fact that the address seems to have I'm
pressed each senator in accordance with his own pre-
conceived opinions Of the treaty and the League OF Ma
tons, which is the thing that gives it vitality. Those who
we're in favor of the league thought the address a fins
presentation. Those who have been opposed thought lit
tie of it.
On one point there 10 quite substantial agreement
among those who oppose the league. or. are willing to
accept it only with reservations. Most of these critics
express regret that the president did not enter more fully
into an explanation Of the treaty and the league. that he
did not explain the shantung situation, the obligations OF
the United States under Article x, and SO forth. This
feature is we'll covered, and the objections are well an
swered by Senator McCumber, who said:
The address very clearly and concisely explains
the difficulties that had to be overcome by the peace
delegates in arriving at a treaty that would be &C
ceptable to all. It clearly expressed the hopes and
prayers of the war-wounded nations Of Europe for
the support Of this government in a program that
should relieve the world from another such conflict.
OF course, no one could have fairly expected a de-
tailed discussion of the very many important and far
reaching provisions of the treaty proper and the
League of Nations. A treaty SO extensive as to re-
quire six months of ardurous labor lin its completion
could hardly be explained in detail in an address of
less than an hour. The address was therefore neces-
sarily general We shall hope to receive from the
secretary Of state the special reasons which actuated
the peace delegates in formulating the articles Of the
long and comprehensive treaty. .>
The president himself, also, at the outset Of his ad-
dress. forestaned criticism in this point by his statement
that it would not be possible for him either to summarize
or to construe the manifold provisions Of the treaty In an
address which must necessarily be brief; that he would
place himself and all the information he possessed at the
disposal Of the senate and the foreign relations commit
tee. either Informally or in session; and that his address
would be confined to a general characterization of the
scope and purpose of the treaty. That is reasonable. The
address of transmittal was in general terms, and detailed
explanations are available whenever they are desired.
In other senatorial comment there is a wide variety.
Senator Noses of New ampshire says that the president
set forth In a clear manner that the League of Nations is
the most perfect machinery yet devised for working an
international cone-on game. According to this view the
of the nations with which we have been in close
cooperation in this war, with whose soldiers our own
soldiers have fought side by side in support, as we sup
of the same ideals, are, after all, merely q set of
bunco men who have made a dupe of the president Of the
United States, and who have sinister designs on the liber-
ties and the prosperity Of the American people. Have we
wrong side, after all? *