The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-09-24
ITO MAKE SENATE
OBEY PUBLlC?|
Danger Lies in Deception
Possible Through Mechanics
of Willy Propaganda.
WILSON TO FIGHT TO END
Convinced 80 Per Cent. of
Americans Want Peace
Treaty Ratified.
(BY DAVID LAWRENCED

-(Copyrighted for The Chatta-
nooga News)--The fight has just be-
gun. Convinced that so per cent. of
the American people are for league
of nations and would rather see the
proposed league established than
none at all, President Wilson means
to carry to finish his fight against
reservations that would alter the
meaning of the treaty. He told his
audience at Ogden, Utah, that it
didn't make any difference to him
how long the fight would be, he
would fight until it was won.
Coming on the top of disquieting
news dispatches telling first of the
detection of Senator Thomas, of Col
orado, and then of the intention of
eight democrats, led by Senator Ash
urst, to amend the treaty and send
it back to conference, Mr.. Wilson's s
brief speech at Ogden gives an idea
of the seriousness with which he is
, regarding attempts to amend the
treaty at this time. So does his
speech at Salt Lake. Perhaps it was
the news from Washington or the
consciousness that he must no longer
be too supersensitive of senatorial
feelings, but the president said at
Ogden that "all the elements which
tended toward disloyalty during the
war are against the league" and that
so far as he was concerned, he meant
to see the thing through and not be-
tray the men who fought for the es-
tablishment of a concert of power
that would make further war un-
necessary.
Mr. Wilson feels intensely on the
subject because public manifesto
tions have Just been Enthusiastically
in his favor as he has travelled
through the Pacific coast states. His
reception in Nevada was enthusiast
tic the support being given him by
republican as well as democra tic
newspapers in Utah is also signiti-
cant of the trend of popular opinion.
Question Often Asked.
How, then, can the senate be made
responsive. That question has been
asked dozens of times during the
trip as the states Of the men who are
opposing the treaty have been in
vaded by the president. Editorial as
well as vocal expression has been in
favor of the presidents views.
Should the president appeal to his
audiences to write their senator's? Do
people ordinarily take the trouble to
write letters about public questions
to their representatives in Washing
ton? AS a rule, organized propa-
ganda alone strikes Washington and
it would not be difficult for either side
to handle the mechanics in such fash
ion as to enable them to claim a pre-
ponderance of opinion on their re-
Spective side.
What tactics will avail them? Win
the senate go so far as to adopt
amendments that mean the resub-
mission of the documents or virtually
the rejection?
Judging by the editorials we have
seen all along the line, there are many
newspapers that favor clarifying res
ervations, but again and again they
have stated they would not support
reservations that would require a
new conference Of the powers in
Paris. AS between such a contin-
gency and especially the conse-
quence Of a further delay to the proc
amation of peace throughout the
world, most of the newspaper editors
with whom we have talked give it as
their conclusive judgment that the
people would rather see the covenant
unqualified and America undertake
to amend it later on when the league
is established than to see the work
of the Versailles conference thrown
into confusion and chaos again by
handful of senators.
1t was a republican chairman at
Reno, New, who exclaimed that he
denied the right of a few republican
senators to commit his party to a
course of opposition to the league of
nations. Certainly, the president
thinks matters would be brought to a
serious climax if the amendment fos-
tered by Senator Johnson and re-
quiring a change in the number of
votes in the assembly We're to pass.
Has Answered johnson.
Senator Johnson has argued that
America should have six votes if
Great Britain has six. The president
has replied that Americas one in the
councils constitutes n veto against
BPltains six in the assembly, for the
latter body is a debating society.
while the former is the body which
originates actions. He has said that
the British empire, being composed
of self governing nations like Cam
ada, New Zealand Australia, India
and South Africa, has been given the
right to have those states participate
in the debates of the league by send
ing a delegate to represent each do
minion. Mr.. Wilson argues that be-
cause of the sacrifices made by those.
colonies in the late war. as well as
their close kinship with America,
they would be as apt to concur in
the views Of America as to disagree,
but that in any event since an affirm
1tIXp Nntp hty tho ITnitnh in
the council is needed to make the
assembly's opinions valid, it does not
matter how many delegates any
country has, so the Johnson follow
ers have said that America should
have six votes.
The basis of representation, how
ever, has been self governing nations,
and the foreign policy Of the British
colonies is handled independently by
them. Canada, for instance, neoo-
tlated treaty in 1910 with the
United States. Once the bars are let
down and America is given delegates
on the basis Of her forty eight states,
as has been suggested, other nations
would seek TO have their provinces
thus rep -esented, with Il conse-
quence that the assembly would be
unwieIdy.
So, the president argues that mas
much as the United States by her
vote in the upper house of the league.
namely, the council, can veto any
ooinion rendered by the lower house.
TIE assembly, an insistence by the
United States on a territorial equality
mi"ht wreck the whole project.
The president found warm greet
ing in Utah, especially in Salt Lake
the home of Senator Smoot. rapub-
l'""0 le"der. Tho street crowds at
Ogden were undemonstratiye hut