Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-23

tive of political purpose; but it
would not be fair to say that all
or them in favoring the League were
simply playing party politics; and,
on the other hand, it does not seem
Ialr TO accuse those on the other
slde or the question of so doing.
indeed, it is perfectly plain that
opponents of the League are not
playing party politics. Thus Hoke
smith, of Georgia, a ,stanch Demo-
crat, was not playing Republican
polltlcs when he voted against the
treaty and the proposed League.
Nelther was Senator Shields, "a
pemocrat from Tennessee; neither
was Senator Gore, Democrat from
oRlahoma; neither was Senator
Reed, of Missouri, who was threat
ened with the loss of Democratic
| support and neither were other
Democratic senators who arrayed
themselves against the League as it
is. TO say such men were PLAYING
Republican politics would be utter
ing an absurdity. They were Ameri-
cans, and these strong men who on
the League issue separated from
their Democratic colleagues did il
not to help the opposite party, but
because they were American patriots
and believed that the League which
the President brought across the At
lantic was destructive of American
independence by putting the United
states under Il political world gov
crnment and at the mercy of other
nations, many of them being greatly
interior. but in the League possess
Ing a voting power equal to that
nf hna TTnft
one of them could defeat the United
Stated by neutralizing her vote.
That being the case. the fair pre-
sumption is that others who were
against the proposed League were
against 1t because they also were
good Americans, standing patriotic
ally for the sovereignty of their
country; and even if they were mis-
taken, their honest belief is to be
respected.
The problem has been made spe-
cially difficult by the entwisting of
twos documents, the League Covenant
and the treaty of peace. Whoever
did that, against the warning of the
Senate, is responsible for the delay.
1t was not the Senate that mixed
and confused the two things. That
was another attempt TO coerce the
inter-
laclng is responsible for the result
ing consequences.
The Senate, however, has taken
action and defeated UNQUALIFIED rati-
lcatlon and twice defeated ratif-
cation with reservations. the latter
votes being the result of the Presi
ueht indication to his followers
that they should so vote, on every
other subject such votes would he
regarded as final.
1t should be seen that the DELAY
In making a formal peace does moi
make peace impossible, for that re-
qulres the ratification on the one
rand by only three of the principal
aIhed and associated powers" and
tnat has been met already. n
should also be remembered that dur
,hB al the recent world commo-
uohs real League has been i'm
existence, namely, The Hague CON
ference with its internationaI ri
bunal, providing court of nrbitra-
uon. This has never been abropofed
and would have met had il not been
Tor the war, and to-day under n
the nations can come together
Win very little touching up The
liague conference would meet the
desires OF those who want an as
Senlbly and a court of nations. ana
while 1t Is world conference. II is
not u world government. What is
more, even within few days II has
been proposed in Europe to refer n
question to The Hague, and 1t is re-
ported that the reference has been
agreed to. Whether that be so or
not, The Hague arrangement still
exists, and the world need not seri-
ously suffer, even If the nations take
little time to consider whether
there should be constructed the
right kind of n League of Nations.
which must be one that will not
govern the United States of America.