Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-10-17
WHY CONTINUE THE OBSTRUCTION?

following the defeat of the so-calIed Fall amendments, and
with every prospect of the defeat of the Johnson amendment,
why do the Republican leaders in the senate keep up their
farce of opposition to the ratification of the peace treaty?
By their stubborn and defiant attitude they are merely de-
laying peace throughout the world and making it possible for
the radicals everywhere to carry on their nefarious work.
With all kinds of domestic problems pressing for action
right here at home; the labor unrest; high cost of living, gov
eminent finances, and the railroad situation to be settled, the
senators continue to fritter away valuable time in partisan
strife and personal abuse.
We would recommend to those Republican senator's who
ore holding up a final peace, especially would we recommend
10 Senator Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, the letter which the
Republican national chairman, Mr.. Hays, wrote to Republican
state chairman, E. C. Stokes, regarding Republican politics in
New Jersey.
"This is no time for little things" Mr.. Hays says, nor.
petty jealousies,' nor "carping criticisms
Senator Frelinghuysen who delights to think that he is
one of the Republican leaders in New Jersey, might well heed
the advice of his party's national chairman to New Jersey Re-
pubicans.
There is much satisfaction in knowing that New Jersey
has at least one United States senator who is above narrow par
tisanism and personal jealousies. Senator Edge, while not
voting yesterday on the Shantung amendment, was paired as
being against it and it was announced on the floor of the senate
that Senator Edge was opposed TO all textual amendments to
the treaty.
This means that Senator Edge is also opposed TO the
Johnson amendment. That he favors certain reservations de-
fning Americas understanding as to the various clauses in the
treaty, is we'll known and there is no doubt that along with the
ratification of the treaty as It is written will go the reservations
satisfactory to all excepting the extremists, of whom there is
but a small minority.
With England, France and Italy already having ratified
the treaty as it stands; with its acceptance on the part of Ger
many; with the League of Nations already an established fact
and with plans being perfected for the international labor con-
ference, there is nothing for the United States to do blu. accept
the treaty and join in with the other leading powers to accom-
plish the purpose for which the League of Nations is estab-
lighed. That purpose is to prevent war; handle disputes of an
international character, and bring about a condition whereby
the nations, already struggling under the heaviest debt the
world has ever known, need not rush headlong into costly arm
aments and military expenditures as the only means of self
protection.
The League of Nations can be made just what the people
of the world want it to be. 1t can become a farce or it can be
made an effective force. Under the right kind of leadership it
can be made all that its most optimistic friends hope for it.
No doubt there will be some who will refuse to take the
league seriously and when the propagation arises an attempt
will be made to ignore the will of the league. Then will come
the crucial test. A firm stand on the part of the other mem
bers of the league to force obedience to the will of the rest of
the civilization, a firm show of front to convince the erring ma
ton that the whole world is against it, will finally convince all
that at last there is a power in existence that will adjust all diff
ferences. The end of all wars will then be in sight.
The Republican senators at Washington are inclined to
condemn the League of Nations before it has had even a fair
trial. In the meantime much of the outcome Of the war just
ended depends upon the League to administer certain affairs
and protect the small nations that have been set up by liberated
peoples.
Without the League the Italians and Jugo-Slavs will be
left to fight it out between themselves over the Dalmatian
coast. The Poles will be left alone to secure their rights at
Riga and in SILICA. The Balkan situation will flame up again
with each little nation struggling to get advantage over the
other, a constant fire brand in European politics. The Turks
will soon resume their mastery of the oppressed peoples of
Asia Minor, Japan will at once scheme to gobble up as much of
China as she may think she needs. Germany will begin brazenly
to build up once more her great military machine which, by
the time another generation takes hold of affairs, will be ready
to again defy the world and the struggle through which we
have just passed will have to be experienced all over again by
our children, only with added horrors thus far undreamed of.
The only hope we have Of preventing all this is the stand
ing together of all the civilized nations through the proposed
league that is created in the treaty of peace with Germany.
Yet certain senators, pretending to see America robbed
of her independence, are obstructing the acceptance of the
document.
The fact that the League of Nations is already assured
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