Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-10-24
A DANGEROUS GAME

struoionists in the United States senate have launched forth
on a new program in one last desperate attempt to accomplish
their original purpose of killing the peace treaty.
Unable to secure the adoption of any direct amendment to
the treaty, Senator Lodge and his diminishing group of follow
ers now propose reservations which, by the very wording are
amendments in everything except the name.
These so-called reservations should they be adopted by
the senate, would throw the whole treaty back into the peace
conference at Versailles just as surely as the amendments
would have done had they been adopted. This would mean
chaos throughout the world and America could not escape her
share of it.
With the whole country crying for peace and a settling
down to the regular order of things, the obstructionists in the
senate keep up their petty personal, partisan fight.
The reservations now proposed by Senator Lodges
committee are as cowardly as they are insulting. The sum and
substance of these reservations is that the United States
would be willing to enjoy all the benefits of a League of Ma
tions, but it refuses to assume any of the responsibilities of the
same. And, in a crisis, this country proposes to do as it pleases,
any way.
OF course, such an attitude defeats the very object Of the
league. In other words, the reservations" upset the whole
object of the treaty and therefore mean its rejection just as
readily as the amendments, which have already been turned
down.
The United States cannot afford at this time to show such
Indifference to the whole world. We are already too much in
volved both in a commercial way and in financial affairs to at
tempt at this time to ignore Europe entirely.
We have as much involved in keeping peace over there as
other nations have. 1t is especially our concern if there should
be a League of Nations with the United States left out.
These Republican senators, by rejecting the peace treaty
including the covenant for the League of Nations, just because
1t is the work of Woodrow Wilson, are deliberately inviting
war.
If they have their way the United States will Immediately
nave to begin enormous expenditures for increasing the navy
and training soldiers. 1t will have to be in a position to defend
itself with arms at a moments notice. -
There is hardly a European country that does not owe us
waists sums of money. But Europe is bankrupt and famished.
We already control the great majority of the wealth of the
world. -
Without a League Of Nations to properly adjust the inter-
national affairs, or at least make an attempt to adjust them,
conditions will quickly return to what they were before the
war, with every nation jealous of every other nation, only the
jealousy will be directed more particularly against America
where there is peace and plenty.
If we are not to take our full part in seeing that peace is
maintained elsewhere as well as in America we are simply in
viting disaster,
But we know already that all is not peace and quiet right
here at home, The outlook is anything but encouraging al
though with the proper leadership and guidance there is no
doubt affairs will straighten themselves out.
But the people look to the government to properly meet
the crisis that is rapidly approaching in this country. How can
the government do this when it is still debating a peace with
Germany? While a thousand and one important domestic prob
lens press harder and harder for consideration the senate
continues to fiddle and fool.
The utter Indifference shown by Senator Lodge and his
little group of petty politicians, who are for the %time-being in
vested with the authority of United States senators, is one of
the most dsgraceful exhibitions in public life ever given the
American people,
The obstructionists could not get their amendments
passed because they were made to realize that the country was
not back of them. They did not dare. Now they propose to
defy the country by carrying out their original purpose only
under a different name-a sneaky and cowardly thing to do.
Senator Frelinghuysen is one of this narrow, partisan
group and it would seem that even Senator Edge, who took
such a commendable stand on the amendments, is inclined to
hide behind the word reservation although he must know
that there is actually little difference between the two, as far
as the reservations now proposed are concerned.