New-York tribune., 1919-07-12
The Honest Course

and attempts TO MAKE lIle Coiioi" i"Ay "P
pear are deceptive. A long line of
American statesmen, including leaders OF
every party, and an equally long line
Of public acts and declarations have de-
fined the national policy and established
a national tradition in favor Of maxi
mum arrangements to limit ornaments,
to arbitrate international differences
and to systematic concert Of nations.
No longer ago than 1916 Congress, by
practically unanimous vote, authorized
the President to invite the nations to a
conference to consider organized peace.
Conspicuous in urging the creation of
a new international order have been
leaders of the Republican party. Seward,
Fish, Evarts, Gresham, Hay, Root and
Knox, as Secretaries of State, have
strongly promoted projects looking to
it, and have had the hearty support Of
their Presidents, not excepting Mckinley
and Roosevelt. Closing his address to
the second Hague conference, Joseph H.
Choate said: "Let US unite on this great
pacific measure and satisfy the world
that this second conference really in
tends that hereafter peace and not war
shall be the normal condition Of civilized
nations"
The conviction that league Is neces-
sary has been greatly strengthened and
enefgized by the events of the last five
years. The New York Republican con-
vention of 1918 emphaticaly declared
for the organization of league and for
our entry therein. If the question were
now submitted, no major party, and
probably no minor one, would uphold the
negative. Senators johnson and Poin-
dexter, not to speak Of Senators Lodge
and Knox, are not opposed to league,
and often have so declared
What is under debate is, first, whether
particular agreement drawn at Paris,
which pretends to embody the hague
principle, is worth adhering to, and,
second, if there is adhesion, what in
/. terpretative reservations are wise to
protect this countrys liberty of action
and to make it impossible to lodge
against it charge of treaty breaking.
OF these two questions the first, af-
ter period of some doubt, seems practi-
cally disposed of. A majority Of the
Senate has apparently concluded that
the covenant, meagre as it is, is worth
ratifying; that in providing for periodic
conferences, by furnishing form of
ton has little independent power, and
by using this organization as a commit
tee to discharge certain administrative
duties in connection with the application
Of the peace, there are gains. The Senate
majority indicates its desire to preserve
all the affirmative good which is in the
covenant and to allow it full opportunity
to develop usefulness. 1t favors reser-
walton, but reservation, it is scarcely
necessary to point out, implies a concur
rent ratiflcation-in the present instance
an acceptance Of the proposed league IN
so far as it Is substantive.
The debate thus further narrows to
the issue Of what interpretative reserva-
tons are now required. Concerning this
there is rapid approach toward agree
faent. 1t is generally recognized that
the Monroe Doctrine, whose status is
left in some doubt, must be definitely
reavowed; that notice must he given
that the covenant Win not be construed
by as as pledging our participation In
every petty squabblc or as guaranteeing
every existing national boundary; that
should we wish to withdraw from the
agreement we, and not others, must be
the Judge of whether our obligations
lave been respected-~-the language now
permitting majority Of the covenant
council to deny US the right Of with
drawal. which Is nominally conceded eby
~sstnn 40 In sanAsmtt,
Touching these matters ths discussdon