Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-24

tons to their representatives in
Washington. As a rule organized
propaganda alone strikes Wash
ington and it would not be difficult
tiOns to their representatives in
for either side to handle the me-
chanics in such fashion as to en-
able them to claim a preponder-
ance of opinion on their respective
sides
What tactics will avail then?
Will the senate go so far as to
adopt amendments that mean the
resubmission of the document or
virtually its rejection? Judging
by the editorials we have seen all
along the line, there are many
newspapers that favor clarifying
reservations but again and again
they have stated that they would
not support obstructive reserva-
tions, those that would require a
new conference of the powers in
Paris. AS between such conting
eney and especially the cOnse-
offences of a further delay to the
proclamation Of peace throughout
the world, most OF the newspapers
UAALOAb WIN ~ NUN VIZ nave bSlihGu
give it as their conclusive judg
ment that the people would rather
see the covenant unqualified and
America undertake to amend it
later on when the league is estab-
Iished, than to see the work of the
Versailles conference thrown into
confusion and chaos again by a
handful of senator's.
1t was a Republican chairman at
Reno, Nevada, who exclaimed that
he denied the right Of a few Repub-
llcan senators 81 Washington to
commit his party to a course of OPP
position to the League of Nations.
Might Have One for Each State.
Certainly the president thinks
matters would be brought to a ser
\ tous climax If the amendment fos-
Ssred by Senator Johnson and re-
QESing change in the number of
votes in the assembly were 20
pass. Senator Johnson has argued
that America should have six votes
if Great Britain has six. The presi-
dent has replied that Americas one
in the council constitutes a veto
against Britain's six in the as
sembly for the latter body is a de-
batting society while the former is
the body which originates action.
He has said that the British en-
pire being composed of self-govern-
ing nations like Canada, New Yea
land. Australia, India and South
Africa, has been given the right 20
have those states participate in the
debates of the league by sending d
delegate to represent each dOmin-
ion. Mr.. Wilson argues that the
sacrifices made by those colonies in
the late far as we'll as their close
kinship for America argues that
they would be as apt to concur in
the views of America as disagree,
but that in any event since an af-
firmative vote by the United States
in the council is needed to make the
assembly's opinions valid, it does
not matter how many delegates any
country has. So the Johnson fol-
lowers have said that America
should have six, too. The basis of
representation, however, has been
self-gOverning nations and the for
eign policy of the British colonies
is handled independently by them.
Canada for instance negotiated a
trsAty in 1910 with the United
<Bfates. Once the bars are let down,
and America is given delegates on
the basis of her 4S states, as has
been suggested, other nations
would seek to have their provinces
thus represented with the conse-
quence that the assembly would be
unwieldy. So the president argues
that inaSmuch as the United States
by her vote in the upper house of
the league-namely the council
can veto any opinion rendered by
the lower house, the assembly, an !
insistence by the United States on
a theoretical equality might wreck !
the whole project.
Gets Warm Greeting.
The president found a warm |
greeting in Utah, especially in Salt |
Lake, the home of Senator Smoot, I
Republican leader. The street |
crowds at Ogden were undemon- |
strative, but those at Salt Lake |
were cordial and enthusiastically |
animated. Practically all the Re-
publican and Democratic newspa-
pers of the state with one excep- |
ton are for the League of Nations !
and Herbert J. Grant, head of the |
Mormon church, has just come out
Nth a declaration in favor Of the
covenant and the league saying
that it is well within the creed of
the church.
How to "Aid Senate
But again how shall the militant
public opinion which Mr. Wilson is
leaving in his wake as he travels
eastward, assist the Judgment of
the senate as the president him
self suggests? Organized opposi-
ton to the league is encountered
everywhere. For instance the Irish
societies have trailed Mr.. Wilson
in all cities with full page adver-
tisements against the league. There
is no question about the fact that
antipathy to Great Britain which
cropped out before the United |,
States entered the war in the per-
iod when a large section of Ameri-
can opinion was being asked to be-
lieVe that British gold was corrupt
ing our newspapers and that be
cause the Lusitania was a British
ship the wrong done American citi-
zens should not be avenged, is again
coming to the surface Among the
eight senators who are understood
to be opposed to the president on the
johnson amendment with respect
to the votes of the British colonies
L. V-;- /