Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-11
TAFT'S EDITORIAL
HURTS LODGE PLAN
Denunciation Has Deterrent
Effect on Effort to Enlist
Mild Reservationists
SEES PLOT TO KILL LEAGUE
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT
Star Correspondent Of the Evening Public
Ledger

the Lodge reservations in the PUBLIC
LEDGER this morning will have n big
effect upon the effort to enlist the
weaker of the mild rpscrvationists for
Mr.. Lodges program in any form.
Mr.. Taft says what every friend Of
the league here knows. that the purpose
Of the Lodge reservations is to kill the
league. send the treaty back to Yer
sailles and after that the deluge. But
MIR. Lodge does not expect to achieve
all this. He does not expect to have
his reservations accepted unamended.
Mr.. Lodges purpose. then. is to do
the league as much damage as he can
morally, while attaching to its accept
ance merely interpretative resolutions.
A man may acceGc to a proposition
in such a way as to throw buckets of
cold water all over It.
Hopes to Damage League
Mr.. Lodge hopes to do as much dam
age to the league by the way he &C
cedes 20 it when he is forced to accept
, amendments to his reservations as if he
refused to accede to it. As Mr.. Taft
J says, this course is much less manly
| anu courageous lnuu lHhl VI q .
Borah and johnson. who are honestly
J and openly for the defeat of the treaty.
The handling of the German treaty is
a fair example Of that ~favorite occupa-
tion Of the United States Senate, do
! ing big things in n little way"
1t is the biggest thing that was ever
before the Senate and the way is the
' %1ittlest vay. The issue now-all that
> is really left OF 1t II you get down
"a $500 I;tohoooL is "sbon ro
-. ~" Lr,o IS nn.ons raLino q
, co. omo - Nv no+Y'. If wo moko n
,aoo :; i oroot Ron,biicon victory
70 49, do - is a rro.t Donocrot; c
rhou , r.ords about "ui1dr
.rd "wild., ro.or,ot;or. about "out
tnr,, tho .rootr and rossirg Il nc II
stands hut tho rooI orostior is "sb,I
thoro Or sb,r tboro rot bo n ,r;n,ace =
re- oro n,rtv docs oil hot = ;s will
/ ,,n 70 do ,ha ITr;tod statos will ho-
nnn. q n,omhor 81 tho Ioooro sor;,.
eve ontc,. tho ,oaoro but vo roservo
CLEARLY tho right r. withdraw from II
10 on exner;ence orr nxnec.at;ons ore
disop nointed If thc other accom-
> nlishes the utmost II really expccts I,
ACCOMPLISH. the United States will bc
i come a member Of the league saving
eve enter the league, but IL wc don't
like it. we'll get ont damn ou.ck." Tina
''damn quick, and the expression q,
countenance that zoe. with it Is the
height of craftsmanship. as Washing
ton goes now.
I. u
"ouiu Nioui' nese''a'''hs
Senator Lodge is prepared to modif,
MS reservations, offered in his repor
Yesterday. He has said so. himself
70 modifr bis ressrrotiors Erorr on,
knows it. They have been CAREFUL,
drawn. so that. with a slight change
they will become merely interpretative-
will avoid the danger of having to b,
passed on by foreign powers, and tina
Is the only question of Importance, an,
when so changed. the public will motto,
the difference, There will be the vic
tory.
I asked a Democratic leader ycster
day whether. IL 50 changed. the Lodc
reservations would not come within tn
administration description of reserya
A lions that merely internreted the treaty
Eyes" he said, ''but they will still b
nut IN an offensive way." The "wr
face" that T spoke about, If tn
J Democrats succeed. ''the wry face will
be smoothed and changed to a smile
That Is what we are going to spen'
weeks upon. 1t isn't any question o
defeating the treaty, it isn't any ques
ton Of amending the treaty =; il isn't an,
serious question of passing reservation
that invite action by foreign powers
This last is highly improbable. 1t Is
question of the 'wry face or not.
c observation-disclosures
"o.' :"
s.ths Trn;tad states rcseryes 70 itsol
the unconditional right to withdra,
from the league of nations upon the no
tice provided in Article I of said treat
of neace with Germany" The "uncon
ditional'' in that article probably make
the reservation in effect an amendment
This is a nice question for constitution,
lawyers. But it IL to be observed tha
Mr.. Lodge himself does not intend tha
II shall be an amendment. Mr., Lodp
js fierce in his adiectiyes md gentle i
their INTERPRETATION He writes the sd
~iectiyes for Rorah and johnson and IN
internretations for McCumber and Kel
logx, He writes explaining his reser
xation.
at. mu.. ho ,,odo ,oo.,u alan. .ho
at Irn;tod Statas ~ :. - sotna