Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-12
Lodge and His Homo Folks

4 FTER the Senate had repudiated the
1 \ Foreign Relations Committee, OF which
Henry Cabot Lodge is now the chairman, by
rejecting by two-to-one vote the Fall
amendments recommended by the commit
tee, the Republican State Convention OF
Massachusetts further repudiates the distin-
gushed Bay State statesman by demanding
the ratification of the peace treaty without
amendment of any sort.
This is perhaps the severest jolt any op-
ponent of the treaty has received since its
consideration began in the Senate. 1t was
more pointed than the demand Of score OF
leading Republicans of California that Sen
ator Hiram Johnson stand aside and allow
the pact TO be ratified without amendment or
reservation. That incident was significant
enough. but the message which he received
came from no political organization. 1t was
merely the expression of men who had long
supported the Californian as individuals.
But Senator Lodge is made object OF a
protest voiced by the party spokesman OF his
own State; by several hundred men elected
by Republican voters to represent them in
convention assembled. and who had every
right to speak for the dominant party of the
State which Mr.. Lodge speaks for in the
United States Senate. Either the Republic
can convention OF Massachusetts, which OPP
poses all amendments to the treaty, is mis-
representing the people of that State, or,
rather. the great body Of Republican voters
OF that State, or else Senator Lodge, who is
for all proposed amendments to the treaty,
Is msrepresenting his people
That is not all. The Republican conven-
ton demanded an immediate vote on the
treaty 1t Is tired OF delay. 1t is impatient
with hllbusterers. 1t knows that the coun-
ry wants nothing at this time as it wants
peace. And yet the senior Senator from
Massachusetts has contributed more to the
delay in voting on the treaty than any one
or any six of his associates He is the man
VINO insisted on reading every word of it be-
lore the committee, process which took
more than two weeks. He is the man who
insisted on a long series Of utterly useless
and time killing hearings before the COM
mittee, and he is the man who has been
IN position for the past six weeks to call
the treaty up for vote any day, if he had
wanted it acted upon
1t is true that the Massachusetts conyen-
ton gave an Endorsement to the leadership
OF Senator Lodge and pronounced its con-
Vlcllons IN favor OF treaty reservations but
these extenuating circumstances" can
scarcely remove the sting contained in the
declaration against amendments and the dec
laration against delay. Senator Lodge must
nave realized by that he is mazda the
recipient OF left-handed compliments when
ms leadership is commended in the samo set
or resolutions which condemns the fruits or
that leadership.
The action OF the Massachusetts conven-
tlon is all the more worthy of note when II
is recalled that the Massachusetts Senator.
ioreseeing insurgency In the ranks of his
party at nome, abandoned his duties in Wash
lnston, and, hurrying away to the State Ia
bored for day and a night with tho reeo-
lutions committee trying to keen II IN the
Lodge track.