Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-04-03
,rIII-pCDAy APRIL 8, 1919
THE PRESIDENT CHANGES
FRONT.


The president, if advlces lEoii'
Paris can be relied upon, mas exc
cuted one of those sudden about-faces
that are so characteristic OF his
course in public affairs. A man OF
stubborn purpose, he knows not only
when to yield but how to make the
shift with an adroitness that usually
goes far to disarm criticism.
The fact that Woodrow Wilson ran
for and was reelected president on
a platform of "he kept us out Of war,
did not restrain him from leading the
country into war a few months later,
when he thought the sentiment of the
country in overwhelming force de-
manded war with Germany.
He had a well conceived plan for
putting the league of nations through
without the crossing of a 't' or the
dotting of an ii" in the covenant he
brought back with him from Paris.
He came back with no intention of
accepting an amendment. lie counted
on popular enthusiasm for the league
idea to force the senate into line, He
believed that with the covenant in
terwoven with the peace treaty, the
senate would not dare delay the day
of peace for the world by refusing
ratification.
But the president had a spell of
overestimating his influence with the
public. Not long before he had urged
the people, as a patriotic measure. TO
send all democratic candidates for
house and senate to congress, leaving
the republicans, who had more 10y
ally supported the war. at home. He
protested that his request was not in
the interest of the democratic part$,
but for the good of the country then
at war But the country didn't see it
that way.
But when the president went to Eu-
rope in December he had not learned
all that should have been taught hm
by the election. He undertook to
make the treaty and the league of
nations matter a one-man affair.
But when the president got bach to
the United States it must have be-
come evident to him that his Plan was
going wrong. 1t must have been
borne in upon him that while the
country was favorable to a league of
nations that promised to minimize me
possibilities of war. it was flied with
doubtings regarding his particular
league.
The president saw the gradual sol
idification Oh the opposition in the
senate, and he knows now THAI forty
eight republicans and fifteen demo-
Gratis are solidly opposed to his plan,
That makes fourteen more than a
fan majority, and two-thrds of the
senate must vote affirmatively l. the
treaty is to be ratified.
Under these circumstances the
president appears to have made a
quick turn, the precise extent of
which remains to be seen.
When Senator FAN was in Albu-
querque he gave a notable interview
to the Journal, and he supplemented
that interview with notable speech
in Santa Fe. Reading the two ut
terances we find that he insisted that
the following changes be made:
1. Qualification of the language
throughout.
2. Definite statement that the eX-
ecutive council acts by unanimous
vote, unless otherwise specified.
3. Reservation, most explicit. of
the Monroe doctrine as an American
policy.
4. Exclusion of domestic uues-
lions, 50 defined as to include im,li-
grafton and the tariff.
5. Provision for withdrawal from
the league.
6. That proposed mandate
should be optional with the mandd-
tory.
The reports from Paris indicate
that five of these. the one excepted
have been adopted as the policy of the
president. and he is working with
more or less success to have the cove
nant SO shaped as to include all of the
demands of Senator Fall, except one.
But Senator Falls most fundamen-
tai criticism of the covenant was that
II would pledge the United States to
guarantee the political independence
and territorial integrity against ex-
ternaf aggressions of every member of
4heslsague~~a tremendous promise to
make. ssaes 49,
J.sot he.a ,tsos fy,is sies "a f,n dina mn