The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-29

to remake human nature and national
characteristics by means Of high
sounding words-proves the wisdom
and eminent propriety of that which
Senator KNOX proposed to the Senate
twenty weeks ago.
Manlfestly the right thing for the
Senate to do when II Is called in ses-
sion Is to accomplish this separation
of subjects, Notwithstanding Presi-
dent WILSON'S obstinate efforts to
prevent that separation. We say
President WILSON'S efforts, for he
personally and individually has been
the promoter Of the ENHANCEMENT.
He has repeatedly and openly threat
ened to tie up the question Of peace
with the question of league Of ma
tons. Not longer ago than March 8,
when he was in New York, he def
antly told his hearers in the Metro
politan Opera House that when that
treaty comes back gentlemen on this
side will find the covenant not only
in 1t but so many threads Of the
treaty tied to the covenant that you
cannot dlssect the covenant from the
treaty without destroying the whole
vital structure" In all the record
of his various manifestations Of au-
tocratic proclivities there is perhaps
nothing which surpasses this.
What we do not know yet, and
what we cannot know until the text
of the general treaty becomes public
property, Is how far the Presidents
influence and exertions have managed
to intertwine the two different sub
jects in such a way as to make the
necessary business of concluding
peace carry through his personally
conceived peace league notion as an
inseparable rider. If he has sue
ceeded In any considerable degree he
has added to the difYiculty of the task
ahead for the American Senators.
But the duty of the Senators and the
constitutional power of the Senate
are the same with regard to the gen.
eral treaty as with regard to the cove
nant. The responsibility for unfortu.
nate results proceeding from the pc.
litical. trick of combination will be
with the negotiator of the treaty, not
with the judges of its acceptabllity
| to our Government.
Twice in our history the Senate has
prevented q fatal ENHANCEMENT Of the
United States in European affairs
The earlier occasion was when that
exalted body Of representative Ameri-
cans ratified the first and second set
of conventions for the pacific settle
ment Of International disputes. but
attached thereto the reservation orig.
inally proposed by our delegates to
the Hague conference, as follows:
Nothing contained in this conven-
ton shall be so construed as to re-
quire the United States Of America
to depart from its traditional policy
OF not intrudlng upon. interfering
with or entangling itself in the po-
litical questions Of policy or internal
administration Of any foreign state;
nor shall anything contained In tho
said convention DO construed to I'm
ply a REIMBURSEMENT by tho United
States Of its traditional attitude to-l
ward purely American questions"
The second occasion was when that
same American Senate ratified the
general act and protocol drawn at the
Algeciras Conference Of 1905 with the
subjoined reservation:
RESOLVED further, That the SEN
ate, as a part Of this act Of ratia-
cation, understands the participation
of the United States in the Algeciras
Conference and in the formation and
adoption of the general act and pro-
tocol which resulted theretrom. was
without purpose TO depart
from the traditional American foreign
policy which forbids participation by
1
political questions which are entirely
European in thsir scope"
Does It seem likely that the Amcri
can Senate. which has twice safe
guarded thus carefully and patriot
mlly the integrity of our traditiona
American policy Of independence o
European entanglements, will be sat
isfied with mere mention In the pre-
posed covenant of the Monroe Doc
trine as "a regional understanding
for securing the maintenance o
peace"-a grossly If not INTENTIONAL.
untrue description Of that doctrin
and n pitiably insufficient declara
ton Of its continued existence?
A Pathetic Instance Where Colleg
, Rdunatlnn Rafla