New Britain herald., 1919-09-25
THE JOHNSON AMENDMENT.

THE JOHNSON AMENDMENT. AS the fight on the League apf Ma |tions and it's possible amendments progresses there is cause for great I'd cal of amusement in the predicament lin which the Senators now find them selves, after speeches in which they #have defied the League, decried' Britain land raised a hullabaloo generally. Some of their chickens are coming {home to roost, and they are not the 3birds their sponsors thought them to x be- Those who, like Senator Brande- &gee of Connecticut, have expressed matter, are better off than the ones who took exception to certain clauses, and find that they have been further ing the political ambitions of another. the public that he would not vote for the League until Hell was in condl- &ion that ice dealers might reap harvest, literally speaking, and we do
 
 mediate danger of that place congeal- Ing. We are sure that the Senator Knows his own mind, for which he is #o be congratulated, irrespective of him or not. If others were of the same frame of mind we would at least have had vote on the League by this time, which would have helped matters some.
 But the fight has boiled down to the Johnson amendment, which amounts o a virtual defeat of the Treaty, as Everyone in Congress admits It plans To give the United States as many kotes as Great Britain in the council, Eknd is an actual amendment to the document itself, which will call for d teconvening of the Peace Congress at he drafting of a new document, if the other powers agree. If they do not it neans,. no Treaty. President Wilson & has explained that there will be as nuch power to the United States in bne vote as there is in six for Great Britain through the need of unanimity
 before important decisions are made m council, but one Senator Johnson Hoes nat think so, has said so, and is rying to force an amendment trough. What are those who are out o defeat the Treaty to do?
 They have two courses of action on he amendment, to vote for it or against it. If they vote for the Amendment they are accomplishing bne aim, that of defeating the Treaty I've will grant that there is certain mount of politics back of the desire o beat President Wilson's plan" Naturally those who object to the
 reaty on political grounds are looking or something for themselves But, if hey vote for MT. Johnson's amend nent they are giving MT. Johnson the brestige that they have been striving 0 gain They are virtually backin g dr. Johnson for the Republican nomi- hation for President in a campaign nat IS uaDle to De 1nterWOVen With he League of Nations issue. The fight Is going to smoke a lot of political lark horses from their holes before it soes much further. And the battle becomes more and more purely politi- Fal every day.
 We feel for the Senate, particularly hose who have been playing politics. Poor fellows, they have stuck both eet into the muck and they are going o have a fine time getting them out
 ohnson was quick enough, cute
 though to grab the issue which was fable to gain the most support in this
 country, an issue about which there is 4ome little doubt, and grab it for him. Eelf. But somehow, you have to
 hand it to Johnson," he is one of the Yisest politicians of them all.