Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-05

the league any harm without damaging
themselves?
Mr.. Wilson hopes to win the election by
fastening public attention upon the league
and making the nation accept it as big
piece of constructive craftsmanship. highly
fattering to the national pride. The Re-
publican senators hope to win the election
by diverting attention from the league and
fastening it upon the dead horses for which
the nation has to pay-the taxes, the wastes
and mismanagement of the war. the danger
to our institutions in the autocratic usurpa-
tions of Wilson
But fighting the league is not a good way
to divert attention from it, especially when
it affords Mr.. Wilson an excuse to go on the
stump for it.
Can't Ignore the Covenant
But the Republicans in the Senate are not
free to elect their issue. They can't ignore
the league and the covenant. To regard any
thing else on the political horizon would be
like turning your back on confederation to
watch a lighted cigarette.
The league is the best advertised political
document in the world. For the first time
IN history an American President left the
country. and 1t was to secure the league
Mr.. Wilson has genius for advertising, He
dramatized the coldly critical attitude of
the French into something malignant. He
made the characteristic wabbngs of Lloyd
George almost an international incident, He
traded nation of 400 900, 900 people for
vote for his league.
The Republicans cannot ignore a thing
so thrust into the foreground of dispute as
the league. To talk against it is to invite
the question why they do not vote as they
talk. And to vote against it apparentIv in
the opinion of nearly all is to invite defeat
Probably the best course is to adopt
| the league with reservations. If the public
| can be impressed with the reservations
| some of Wilson's credit for passing tha
! league will be destroyed. If not. the Re
publicans will have made the best of a had
| job, and at the same time will have pro-
vided some campaign ammunition
Speed a Republican Essential
But essential to the Republican policy is
| speed. The party should not be responsibIe
for delaying the treaty of peace. Moreover
it should get the league of nations issue out
/, of the way as soon as possible. The coun
try should be allowed to forget the peace and
turn to its practical affairs as soon as DOS
| sibe.
Big as the league of nations issue look,
now, the election may be made to turr
rather upon questions more Immediately con
cerning the interests of the voters than upor
| it. International organization is academic
even though President Wilson and Colope
House have staged the first meeting of th,
league in Washington so as to influence th,
next national election. This country ia s,
vast and so practical that the vote is likel,
to be east for a variety of motives rathe
than because of any pride the voters felt ir
Mr.. Wilson's achievements at Paris uples
his Republican foes make mistakes.
Pacfst idealism saved Mr.. Wilson /,
1915, but back of the ideaism lay a host q
practical considerations about the disadvan
tage of going into war. War now is remot
and the insurance against war contained /,
the league of nations is too slight to iniiuenc
many votes among practically minde
people unless-always unless. The RepubIi
cans, if they know how to play good poI
tics, will not aid Mr.. Wilson by keeping hi
issue alive long.
Republicans Face Big Job
But can the Republicans carry out thi
program Of minimizing Mr.. Wilson's achieve
ment by attaching reservations to the leagu
Of nations and thus establishing talkin
points for the coming campaign and of doin
this quickly? Their issue against the Dem