New-York tribune., 1919-11-22
The Borah-Wilson Alliance

Senator Hitchcock, the minority
leader Of the Senate, mentions
something stressed in yesterdays
rribune-namely, that an over
whelming majority Of the Senate
voted for ratification and thereby
for participation in the league of
nations. He puts the number at
eighty Senators--in fact. there were
seventy-nine.
Only fifteen Senators opposed par
ticipation, yet they have their way.
They have it because Mr.. Hitchcock
and his associates were mad enough
to accept the mad advice Of the
President to vote with the open
enemies Of the league when denied
his exact way. The President is a
fair-weather friend of the treaty,
but rather than to have his constitu-
tional partners in treaty-making
exercise any part of their lawful
prerogative. he preferred its defeat.
Let us take counsel together" says
the President, "and my idea Of coun-
sel is for you to sign here"
In the Senate, touching the treaty,
are three parties, not two. The
tirst consists Of a small group led
by Senator Borah, which would have
the country keep out of what its
members regard as dangerous entan-
elements. The second consists of
the ventriloquial or jumping-jack
group of Senator'S associated with
Senator Hitchcock, Senators who
have no convictions or policy of
their own. and who speak or dance
as the President throws his voice or
pulls string. The third, the largest
of the three and representative Of
the will of the country, so far as it
can be collected, consists of Senators
who favor ratification and peace
league participation, but on such
terms as will clear up the admitted
antiquities of the covenant.
To use the terminology Of Europe,
there is Right, a Center and a
Left. The Left, instead of combining
with the Center, with which it is
more nearly in agreement, swung
over to and supported the Right.
Such an artificial alignment is no
new thing in parliamentary history.
1t is a favorite trick of q baffled
Left, itself in minority, TO seek to
coerce men of moderate views by
forming an unnatural alliance, Then
there is such an unholy coalition as
old John Randolph of Roanoke
ragged against when he spoke Of "the
union heretofore unheard Of of
Blitil and Black George--of Puritan
and blackleg.'
No sign is yet come that the
President has modified his arrogant
pretensions or that his obedient
servants have become free men. The
Borah~ Wilson alliance still exists.
So long as it exists, of course, there
will be no ratification, for the ad-
hesion of the Borah element is based
on the Presidents Senators con-
tinuing to vote against ratification
While this pact lasts, until such time
as Senator Borah is no longer the
prime minister of the Admin stra.
tion, it would serve no good purpose
Tor the Senate to be in session. Per.
haps, in the greater calm arising
from cessation of debate, the Presi-
dent will see more clearly what he
has done, or, better still, that his
dummies will have awakened ir
them q spirit Of elf-determination
No ratification can occur so lone
as the President and his aid from
Idaho are in the same political bee
only by composition with the
reservationists is it possible to have
ratification. Heretofore the Presi,
dents educational methods have
been such as to tend to develop
mild" reservationists into Strong
reservationists. and he should know,
RS does every ono else, that those
meth ds must change If they do