The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-01
PEACE OPPONENTS
FACE HARD TASK
IN S0LON FIGHT
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
The News Selmltar's Special Core.

The News selmltar's Special Core.
spondent.
WASHINGTON. Sept. NEARLY two
months have elapsed since President
peace from Europe. And the pact
which took six feverish months to
draft and bring agreement among 20
nations Is still unratified by the United
states, Great Britain and Belgium
nave ratified il, but France In waiting
LOT the United States and so Is Japan.
the American senate win vote on the
issue within the next 30 days. Look
ing back over the erratic though per-
sistent course adopted by those who
sincerely believe the treaty ought not
70 be ratified ven though 1t means a
new peace conference at Paris, a sur
vey Of the situation reveals the oppo-
nents of the treaty In a much more dan
gerous position, s~trategically speak
ing, than its defenders.
Two weeks & Il was the friends
OF the treaty who thought their chances
OF getting the treaty ratified without
reservations We're slim, but unless the
senate foreign relations committee
completely reverses itself, the conclu-
sion Is unacceptable that defeat Is In
store for II on several important points,
including Shantung.
Not Worth It.
There Is no question that a large
number OF senators, including many
democratic supporters Of the president,
90 not like the Shantung settlement,
put Il ~ also true that they do not
believe the way to secure a revision
OF h q settlement is BY recon-
yening the peace conference at
Paris-for they do not believe Shan
tung is worth It, They would prefer,
however. q separate declaration by the
.lInttN6 Gfntng which NfTpttIA ynlHa Aig-
approval and put squarely on the league
OF nations the responsibility OF lifting
China out of the clutches OF all the
foreign powers which have despoiled her
territory and grabbed her riches. IT Is
not forgotten that President Wilson
when he received the senate foreign re-
lationa. committee at the White House
took the position that foreign powers
would not now be occupying Chinese
territory II there had been a league Of
nations in the past. MIR. Wilson him
self admits he doesn't like the Shan
lung award but looks to Japan to right
IL and the league OF nations to bring
about revision II Japan should not
voluntarily do so.
TO date scores Of changes have been
made 10 the text Of the treaty by the
senate foreign relations committee, But
when the treaty Is reported to the sen
ate next week, 1t viii be read article
~ - NAhN ~ MAh bN&OltlN ILlGE~
sary for the senator's TO watch care
fully their votes, for as they vote they
win not merely find II necessary to
Justify their disapproval Of clauses on
the treaty but to justify the sending
back Of the treaty to international
conference.
Many senators are puzzled. They
would like to see certain reservations
made which do not affect the text It
self but make clear the limit Of Amer
ica's obligations, particularly as TO the
use of force In tho future. Senator
Hitchcock Is confident that as each
article Is voted upon there will be
Democrats to beat every amendment
Of text that Is offered. He doesn't
seem TO he az sure of getting a two
thirds vote for a ratifying resolution
that contains no reservations at all,
There's where the fight viii be close.
Some OF the, reservations proposed
would not In the end be unacceptable
to the president, for they are apparent
ly regarded by him as clarifying lam
guage already in tho treaty and which
merely for the sake of caution would
be explicitly stated in the ~ratifying
resolution.
But as the eight or nine Republics
ans who have stood for amendments
Of the text OF the treaty are defeated
by the series OF votes which II is adj
mitted now win be against them, the
moral effect Of these reyerses may
weaken the demand for reservations
that are called reservations" but are
N effect amendments of text, IL would
be q mistake TO give the impression
that the Republican party as a whole Is
opposed tC any league of nations or 10
an early ratification OF the peace
treaty. Many wise heads on the Re
publican side Of the senate are ques-
1 AtnNaaV.ur 49, HtuAxaa ar Nha taAaa.1 .aw
sued by then eight colleagues who are
trying to commit the party to the de-
feat Of both the league Of nations and
peace treaty.
a majority of Republicans II con.
fronted by the alternative Of the treaty
and league as they stand or no league
at all would vote for the pact as pre-
scented by President Wilson. II /!
their desire for reservations which II
IrecelvinB attention on the Democrat,
side, for their arguments have had NOR
effect than those OF the irreconcilabl'
opponents of the wheie thing, princi
pie and all. The Democratic lines were
inclined to wave n week q but the,
seem to have been propped up by thu
sight of Republican policy In the sen
ate foreign relations committee. A
500 as the Democrats saw the Re
publicans going the limit on the shan
tung provision and other teXtua
ClhnkeS III the Treaty. Inty ueClueu u
stand for no amendments.
Eventually there viii be a coalition
between the majority of the Republic
ans who want TO see the treaty rati
fled with reservations and the Demo
Gratis who win seek to reduce to
minimum the number Of reservation
put into the ratifying resolution, 1t |
really only a question of another mont
or two at the latest before the treat.
win be ratified and President Wilson
tour OF the country Is expected to con
tribute substantially to the result a
he plans to explain to tho American
people that the present high cost o
living is largely due to the disturbe
condition OF Europe, u condition whicl
he thinks will tend to become bette
only when peace has ONE and recon
! struction Is begun In earnest. Whethe
tho people will accept his view or tn
view OF the Republicans who will traI
him and say that our present trouble
are due to neglect by Mr.. Wilson whel
he went abroad remains to be seen.
Copyright, 1919, by David lawrence