Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-05-15
Thursday, May IS, 1919.
Organize, Standardize. Advertise
and Patfon;ze Maine products. This
slogan Of the State Agricultural
and Industrial League is a pretty
good one for the people Of Maine to
follow.
The Leagues Safety Menaesd.


Of Nations. or, rather, on the Peace
Treaty as embodying it. Both make
good points but it seems to us there
lies between reasonable ground
that better satisfies the great Ameri-
can consensus OF opinion.
The Transcript says:
be found the editorial arguments ad-
vanced TO-DAY by our urbane contem-
porary. the Boston Herald. in favor OF
the ratification without reservation.
without delay. and therefore without
debate, of the peace treaty and the
British plan embodied in 1t for a
League Of Nations. in the form that
Paris submits the document to the
Senate. The editorial Is reproduced
in order that our readers may ac-
quaint themselves with and assess the
force of the reasons urged by the ad-
vocates Of such a remarkable course
on the part Of the branch Of the gov
with final authority in the making of
international engagements.
The Transcript calls the present
draft of the League of Nations 1.-The
British plan," and charges its con-
temporary with being that plans
most ardent supporter. Then, after
rcciting the Heralds ground for
alarm" it says:
Then the British plan for League
of Nations can be discussed upon It's
merits. We have good reason to be-
lieve that France and Italy would vel.
come such course upon the part OF
the Senate. We are confident that
when the American people find out
ded without paying the price of aban-
doning the policy of Washington. de-
stroying the doctrine of Monroe and
sacrificing the nationalism Of Cieve-
land and Roosevelt. and best of all
without pledging their flesh and blood
for all fine to come to guaranty the
integrity of the British and japanese
empires from outside attack article
Separate the Peace Treaty from. the
League plan: ratify the one and leav-
en- the other with the Root amend
ments or leave it alone.
The Herald says:
Fly the treaty we mean the whole
document of which the League Of Ma
lions is the opening part. Possibly
Germany may refuse to sign but IL If
Senate, we believe it should be ratified
as it stands.
We are Influenced towards ratifica-
ton mainly by two considerations;
The world wants peace asess Peace she should Id
the interval the affairs of the world
have grown steadily worse. If the
treaty now fails Of ratification; civil.
treaty, unless it contains something
fatal to this country. should be rati-
fed. and we do not find in the present
treaty any such fatality: 1t is better
to ratify the treaty and so to get
starting point for betterment in the
future than to invite chaos. In the
on the rejection of this treaty, a new
treaty might be negotiated by other
agents. 1t is barely possible that a
delegation Of another kind. particular
standing Of Elihu Root. might even
now negotiate a better treaty. But
under our institutions that cannot be.
We have no remedy. as in Great Brit
ian. in a change of ministry. Our
present delegation must continue.
dominated as 1t is and will be by the
duly elected President of the United
States.
We can hardly go as far as the
Transcript that it is necessary to
separate the League from the Treaty,
in order to defeat the boast of Presi-
dent Wilson that he would so tie up
the League with the Treaty that they
could not be separated; nor do we
endorse the Heralds plea for ratifi-
cation as it is, as the alternative Of
a blank. We believe there is Il
common sense middle ground grant,
ing the U. S. Senate it's right and
duty of further perfecting this docu-
ment is possible. We believe the
Senate discussion is likely to clarity
in the minds of the American people
many points that are now hazy or at
least not fully analSzed. 1t is the
American Interpretation of treaty
provisions that we desire, not the
British. or the Wilson, if you please.
We fail to see why everybody else
should participate in discussion and
airing of views. for and against. and
the deliberative body constitutional
~ provided as joint and equal part
ner Of the Executive in the treaty
making power. be arbitrarily pro
hibited by Executive and popular
clamor. however created.
We sincerely hope the U. S. Sem
ate will debate. sincerely and DELHI
erately. with the purpose of getting
better-for-America League and
Treaty and NOT with the purpose of
defeating the progress already made
for political or any other reasons.
The U. S. Senate IL entitled to the
reasons and motives for this and for
that. to the entire peace agreemnts.
the compromises. the atmosphere in
which every situation developed and
the implications involved. 1t was
denied all Of these first hand by the
arrogant all suficiency of the Presi-
dent That Is the Presidents mis-
take. and fault that threatens the
very life Of the treaty-for only he
knows and can fully explain all the |
points and conditions to which the
Senate 10 entitled and Witch are not