The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-10-24
TAFT BLAMES WILSON
FOR LEAGUE ATTITUDE
Is Defeating Good in Covenant by At.
titude Toward Any and All Res
eryatiOns

titude Toward Any and All Res
ervatiOns
Washington, Oct. 16.-Blame for
his uncompromisipg attitude toward
the Republicans in the Senate who are
seeking to amend the league of ma
tions covenant is laid at the door of
President Wilson by former President
William H. Taft.
"What is his present duty?" Mr..
Taft asks. ut is to face the facts as
they are and to make the best of them.
1t is to secure as mild reservations as
he can and in good faith urge ac-
quiescence in them by other signator-
les of the treaty.
"The President is certain that the
people by great majority are for a
ratification of the treaty. He has
satisfied himself of this by his trip.
But the majority of the people are re-
ported, even by the correspondents on
the Presidents trips, to be for satifi-
cation with safeguarding reservations,
and this though they may not have the
form of those reservations clearly in
mind. One gets general idea of pub
lie opinion on such trip as the Presi-
dents; but, as Mr.. Bryan and others
have found, he must be aware of TAX
ing too rosy view of the good will
Of an American crowd, anxious to see
and hear leader, especially a Presi-
dent or a Presidential candidate. His
opportunities do not enable him safe
ty to discriminate between public
opinion in favor of unconditional rat
ification and that for reservations.
eff his present policy is persisted in
and the treaty is rejected, the Presi-
dent cannot escape responsibility for
the result. The Senate's consent by
two-thirds is essential to the making
of the treaty. That body has a duty
equal to his and has right to make
conditions in ratifying. The President
must recognize this duty and this
right. He should exercise the influence
he has over the Democrats who follow
him to secure the best compromise he
can which will leave a useful league.
BY leading his supporters away from
cooperation with Republican pro-leag-
uers he courts rejection. In so doing
he subjects himself to the same criti-
cism he makes against the "bitter end
ers", for supporters Of the league may
well say that in face of great world
need he is sacrificing to his personal
impatience the chance of securing not
all he would have the league be, but
much of inestimable value. Let us
hope the President will conclude to
save the treaty by statesmanlike
compromise. To seek rejection rather
than a compromise in order to make a
winning issue at the next election is
to yield to political motive"
GREAT FARM CENSUS
COMING THIS WINTER
East Lansing, Mich, Oct. 21.--A ma
tional farm census, which will pro-
vide extremely valuable information
on the exact condition of the farming
industry in the United States, is to be
taken in connection with the four
teenth government census Of the pop
ulation of the country, beginning on
January 1, 1920.
Many of the troubling agricultural
questions of the day are reported as
easy of solution, once the exact facts
on the industry throughout the coun-
try are obtained. When facts are
gathered together, as they will be by
the coming census, the farmers them
selves will have something to go on
in determining profits and losses on
their investments in the industry.
The taking of the census will be a
tremendous affair, as the blanks which
all farmers will be asked to fill out
are necessarily quite detailed. c. H.