Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-30
LORD GREY GOES
BACK TO TELL OF
u.
TREATY POSITION
BY DAVID LAWRENCE


! Copyright, 1919, for The Atlanta Journal. .
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.-viscount
Edward Grey-the man who as for
eign secretary of Great Britain. led
| the allies in the critical moments of
! July 1914-returns this week to
Europe to tell the people over there
| exactly what he believes to be at
! issue in the treaty controversy in
the United States. The ambassador
| leaves in no complaining spirit and
| in no captious or impatient mood
He is neither sighted by his inabil-
ity to have an audience with Presi-
| dent Wilson nor is he impressed
with the charge that politics alone
| lie at the bottom of Americas hesita-
! ton to ratify the peace treaty.
| 1t is true in one sense that the
| mission of Lord Grey has been a
failure but in quite another sense it
is about the most important mis-
| sion that could have been contena-
plated for this critical moment ia
| the relations of the United States
and Europe. III
! 1t will be remembered that Lord
| Grey was sent to the United States
| to discuss with President Wilson
| certain Qu6SIlOuS dIlSluS Oul- VI I4lC
| ratification of the peace treaty.
| When he got here Mr.. Wilson had
| suffered a nervous collapse and not
even the secretary of state was per-
mitted- to see him, and furthermore
so far as America is. concerned there
have been no questions arising out
| Of the ratification OF the peace
| treaty. for the obvious reason that
u, III nj,
to see ratified by October and the
first meeting of the League OF Ma
lions in session by then still remains
Enacted upon by the senate of the
United States. #
TWO Courses Open
There remained two things which
Lord Grey could pursue-wait here
till the senate acted, which might
prolong his visit in America beyond
the time which he had agreed on
account of his failing health to re-
main in the United States, or else
go back home and serve the Euro
pean people best by telling them ex-
actly what is involved in the treaty
tcontroversy in the United States.
Naturally Lord Grey chose the lat
ter. In such a situation as the pres
! ton and personal contact could eT1-t
tighten a foreigner on the true
causes of Americas treaty struggle.
The British envoy has had an op-
portunity to meet Senator Lodge, the
! Republican leader, and other OPP
| ponents of the treaty. He has had q
| chance to discuss with them the rea->
] sons for their desire for reservations
fO1 sJyy9 Or
to see America keep out of Europe
altogether He has been able to Size
an the situation and bring back a
comprehensive report. He will y be
esteemed to in Europe because offalis
remarkable prestige in Europeari2idfr
! plomacy both inside and outside Of
! Britain, and because of the fact that
! he has dealt at first-hand with the
prsaleipa1s in tile- American 4reatg
! dsht.
| lord Grey will hardly tell the
| European peoples that the same ma
! ton which showed her unselfishness
| insthe great war now would be guilty
| of selhshness in seeking to associate
! herself entirely from the Frustrated
I European countries and thus seek to
! impose added burdens on the peoples
/ who bore the brunt of the war for
| human freedom.
Lord Grey will hardly confirm the
/ charges of so many people in this
| country that Senator Lodge has been
! seeking partisan advantage alone in
! his keen battle with the president. :
But unquestionably he will tell
| Europe about the unique character
| of the American form of govern
ment which makes the legislative
| branch of the government independ-
! ent of the executive so thai the
country might have one party in
| congress and another party in the
| White House. And he will be able
! to trace, for the benefit of European
| peoples who are accustomed 20 the
| parliamentary form of government
and an executive responsible to the
| legislature, the growing tendency on
| the part of then executive from the
days of Roosevelt on to proceed in
| tlependen.1y of the other branches
Of the government.
I He will be able to describe the
| reasons for Americas hesitation to
enter into a binding contract for
participation in European affairs
without knowing first exactly what
the commitments are going to be.
/ . Limitation of Authority
Summed up, the European observ-
| ers including the ambassadors and
writer's who have been making a
study of the American treaty con-
troversy, see, it possible to boil all
the reservations down to a single
resolution, namely that in the opera
ton of so important an instrument
nc thn covenant of the League of
Nations, the president of the United
States Shall not have the power to
commit the United States to any
/ nhlic. inn--raaral anlitical. nhNSical