Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-12
The Uneasy Senate

Q ENATE leaders continue to exhibit signs
~ of restiveness as they contemplate the
mess they have made Of tho peace treaty
situation and they try to figure out why
the President refuses to withdraw the treaty,
resubmitting ii with an offer OF compromise.
Senator Lodge is quite evidently whstling O
keep up his courage when lie publicly San-
nounces that the Senate is standing pat and
Will allow the treaty to die Il natural death
unless Mr. Wilson takes the initiative by re-
Stunning the fight for ratification.
Those elder statesmen who are most em-
barrasscd by this situation are the mild rcser-
vationists who, at tho eleventh hour. went
over bodily to the Lodge Borah-I olnson
group OF treaty murderers. These rescr-
vationistS had proceeded upon the proposi-
ton that they could take control of the stu
alton when they chose, and they had prom
iscd impatient constituencies that peace
would come at an early date notwithstand-
ing their desertion of the cause in The final
days of the last session.
But with the President refusing TO act
these reservationists arc finding themselves
in most uncomfortable position. They are
no. so situated that they can force action
on the treaty, and the Foreign Relations
Committee is in tho control OF Republicans
who arc irrcconcilably opposed TO Woodrow
Wilson peace with Germany so long as that
peace provides for the founding OF league
OF nations.
With the President refusing TO make any
move toward compromise, these hard
pressed reservationists find il incumbent
upon them to undertake compromise nego-
uations and to find means Of bringing the
Looge group OF Senators 10 more yielding
position, a move that is not easy of accom-
plishmcnt as long as Mr. Wilson remains
silent, and as Ions as Mr.. Lodge remains
obdurate
Meantime the possibility that the Senate
viii pass tho Fall resolution, cllamponed by
Senator Lodge, providing that the war shall
come to an end treaty or no treaty league
covenant or no league covenant grows more
and more remote. Senators are not anxious
10 assume the responsibility for such for
TEXTURE OF American interests and for grant
ing TO Germany full immunity for its out
RACES during the course OF the war.
Ihe passage of such resolution all hands
now agree, would not only bring TO an i'm.
mediate end the operation Of the various war
'ihe enactments leaving the government
without any control food or fuel or
hquor' put ii would place in danger the gov
crhments title 10 the enemy properties which
have been seized and which are being hold
10 meet the claims Of American citizens for
indemnity against Germany
Taken all in ALL the peace situation grows
IN acuteness. Germany is becoming bolder
each day by reason OF America s refusal TO
ratily the treaty, and extreme measures NAV
nave 10 be taken to compel il to meet it's
ooilsations TO its enemies The tate OF MANY
domestic interests hangs perilouslv in the
balance and the political future of MANY
reading statesmen becomes more and more
uncertain as time goes on. The American
people are realizing as time goes on what
dangerous thing it was to defeat the treaty
Of peace