Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-25
The Finish OF tho Fight

TT now seems that tho final stage Of the
l peace treaty contest in the United States
Senate has approached; that the would be
wrcckcrs who sought to do by indirect means
what they dared not do directly, have fallen
low. and that within a very few more weeks
the vote upon ratification will be taken and
the world will be informed whether or not Il
few partisan narrowgauge Senators have it
in their power to defeat the greatest peace
enterprise ever engaged in by the nations of
the earth.
Every amendment to the treaty which has
been voted OH has been defeated by an over
whelmins majority. Only more amend
ment of any consequence Of any consider
able strength. remains TO be acted on and
the prospect is that ii will be thrown out i'll
the same summary manner that the forty-odd
other teStual changes were put to death. I'm
less there is wide miscalculation, the John
son measure is doomed
The hopeful phase of this situation is the
fact that there is revolt on the part of a
strong group of Republicans against the
wretched leadership of Senators Lodge. KNOX
and Johnson. These three men undertook
the burden OF rejecting the treaty by amend
ing it to death. They have not the courage
TO organize straight rejection vote. Not
one of them wants the responsibility for fiat
and final defeat of this great measure, know
ing full VOL that the wrath of nation so
betrayed probably would drive them from
public life. But they have been willing if
It could be accomplished. to mutilate this
pact that it would collapse.
it so happens. however. that there are
more than dozen Repu bican Senators who
refuse TO be parties to this pretense; who
decline 10 enact a lie, who have now given
repeated notice that they repudiate the
leadership of the Republican members of the
Foreign Relations Committee. These Sena-
tors have stood stalwartly against every eff
fort 10 Kill the treaty by assassination, and
II they remain unwareringly on that side
OF the fight. they will have earned the cter-
nal gratitude OF the American people.
OF course. the battle over reservations is
yet TO be staged. What the outcome of it
will be, no can safely forecast. The
Senate is badly divided and subdivided over
the character OF the stipulations which
should be laid down. That there will be
series of conditions. must be assumed That
they will be legislated upon in the ratif-
cation resolution itself. also must be assumed
IN those particulars the President probably
Will be overrued, but this does not ncces-
sarily mean that the treaty is to be dyna-
mited as would be the case If amendments
10 il were adopted, and its resubmission to
The peace conference forced
Public opinion will be less hostile to reser-
faions than Il has been 10 amendments In
the average mind there is a feeling that the
nations best interests would be better sa fe-
guarded il all questions regarding the Mon
roe Doctrine, the right of Congress to direct
The movement Of the army and navy, and the
right OF this country TO control its purely
domestic affairs, were settled at the time the
treaty is ratified rather than become the mat
ter Of possible debate or decision By league
OF nations. But such reservations as this
might be accepted without doing violence
10 the fundamentals OF the treaty.