The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1919-12-04
LODGE BEATEN-HOPE FOR
THE LEAGUE
Springfield Republican Sees Happy
Solution Of the Treaty Tangle
With the Pact Back in the
Hands of the Presi-
dent

The following editorial from the
Springfield, (Mass.) Republican, ono
of the foremost republican papers in
the United States, shows the trend OF
opinion in some of the higher circles
of the republican party and it also
: shows the confidence that the big
people OF both parties have in the
sound Judgment of President Wilson:
The senate's emphatic rejection Of
the treaty as emasculated by the
Lodge reservations affords hope of a
happier solution. Had the treaty
been ratified by the senate and the
president been forced to carry out his
warning that he would pocket it,
there would have been less chance
than now of the leagues being re.
vived. In that case Mr. Wilson, al
though with entire constitutional
right as we'll as moral justice, would
have been i'll the position of opposing
and vetoing the formal act of the sem
ate A compromise would obviously
have been more difficult than it is
now when the act which leaves the
treaty unratified is that of the SEN
ate itself.
How long the deadlock will con-
tinue is the question. lntimaton of
compromise, which is doubtful, its
upon the defeat of the Lodge resolu-
ton have not materialized The
mild reservationist" Republicans
were not prepared, with the excep.
ton OF Senator McCumber, to join
1.-THE Democrats in Fastening further
procedure once the Lodge resolution
had been beaten. Even if there is al
ready sufficient disposition to effect
compromise, whichc is doubtful, its
details evidently remain to be worked
out.
The outstanding feature of the vote
is this: More senator's favored real
league than the combined total OF
those who followed Lodge from the
start and the mild reservationists'
who were later duped into accepting
the emasculating preamble and rescr-
vations which now stand defeated.
Up to the moment of the decisive
ballot it seemed not improbable that
if the emasculated treaty were to be
re iected7 -tlsfee-sve,ttes Of the irrcconcil-
able Republicans hostile to any
league whatever, would be essential.
But while the irreconcilables voted as
eNpectcd-their number increased to
l3-there were AZ who voted against
ratification not because OPPOSED 10
any league, but because they sought
real league
Against them stood only 80, the
four Democrats, Walsh, Gore, Reed
and Shields, and IS Republicans, in
Guiding the former mild reservations
lists These figures support the
statement of Senator Underwood that
it is a minority OF the senate which,
under Mr.. Lodges erring leadership.
is now trying to commit the nation
10 views notoriously born of personal
animosity toward the president rath
err than OF the calm consideration of
far-seeing craftsmanship. On the
second vote on the Lodge resolution
three Democrats went over, but the
significance OF their act is not clear.
The effect OF Mr.. Lodges proposed
joint resolution declaring the war at
an end is uncertain; obviously it has
not relation to the elaborate, &c onom-
ic arrangements which, like the
league, depend upon the treaty. Re
sponsibility for the postponement OF
formal peace, should the responsible
i,y prove ineffective, and of the en-
try Of the United States into the
league, may prove dangerous.
Wise Republican leaders whose
vision is not clouded by the murky
jcalousies at Washington have seen
this clearly. If the country wants
peace and an effective league for the
preservation of peace, it may charge
its inability to get either against the
Unless this issue is
given the Democrats for the coming
presidential campaign, they appear, at
this time, certain to be defeated.
With it they may conceivably elect a
Democratic president and regain con-
troll OF congress-
Here i'll the Eastern states, particle
larly in Massachusetts and New
Y DIRK, powerful elements are arrayed
against the league, and a campaign
on that issue would doubtless mean
Democratic OBJECTIONS. But it should
not be forgotten that a Democratic
president was elected in 1916 without
The ote of these states and that 1t
may be done again. There are Re-
publicans who recognize these posi-.
Dilities even if MIR. Lodge does not,
but who. in recognizing them, would
place national welfare above party
advantage, were the two not in this
instance identical. The leadership OF
Mr.. Lodge has been tested; will
wiser, less envenomed counsels now
direct the Republicans and lead to a
too long delayed?
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