The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-07-12
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
HYSTERICAL SENATORS

You know that very few congress
sIonal sessions have ever had more
weighty and pressing business to
deal with than this one has. 1t was
clear when Congress met that if the
most pressing and important of that
business got transacted this year
neither house had any time to waste.
The first business was this peace set
tlement-involving much for the
United States and the world.
Congress duly convened school was
in session; then two senators said
somebody in Wall Street had a copy
of the treaty. At once all was confus-
ion. and distraction. The poor Senate
could not attend to anything else for
two or three days until it had clam
ored, charged, countercharged, butted,
rebutted and surrebutted, and finally
ordered an elaborate me-consuming
investigation of that startling state
ment.
The effect was exactly as though
some mischievous urchin loosed a.
mouse IN girls school. -~fs
It was well known that a. great
many copies of the peace treaty had
been printed and handed; about among
scores of people. 1t was, well known
that copies of the treaty had been
published in Germany and in some
neutral countries, where almost any
body could obtain one An enterpris-
ing American correspondent seems to
have no difficulty in. getting hold of
= copy. That somebody in Wall
Street had got hold Of copy was
very probable-and of no more. real
consequence than what sort of neck
tie the sergeant at arms was wearing "A
that morning. Whether somebody in
Wall Street or elsewhere had got
COPY of document so much handed
about and accessible in so many n
places could have no more bearing u
on the world-peace settlement than.
what kind of paper twas printed on.
But as soon as somebody said "Wall
Street" the Senate was helplessly
bumped off the track, and newspaper
csiumns were filled with gossip utter
1y irrelevant to the great question be-
lore the Senate and the country. A
Senate with real leadership and a real
zsase of responsibility would not be-
have that way--Saturday Evening
Post.
|
ANTI-LEAGUERS HANDICAPPED
One of the influences which will
press the senate to ratify the peace
treaty, and to do so with slight. delay,
will be the impatience of business to
be free from the restrictions of war
legislation. The trading with the
enemy act will remain in force until
the president proclaims the restora-
fion of peace, which he cannot do I'M
til the treaty has been ratified. The
parliaments of the allies are likely to
ratify after a delay of only a few
DAYS, and as soon as three of them
have done so the treaty will be In =
effect as to their nations. The bars
against trading with Germany will
then be down So long as the senate
delays, the United States will be shut
out of that trade, and the forehanded
allies will have long start.
Resumption of business with Ger
many means more work for American
wider markets for Ami
prican raw materials of the farm,
nine and forest. The people will not
patiently wait to engage in, this bust
ness until the senate weaSies of talk
ing. They will view with impotence
hair splitting objections to the league
covenant or bogies scared up by gross
misleading Of the text. Men who have
ought shoulder to shoulder with
British soldiers will be disposed to
-idicule the old anti-British bogy
which is being trotted out again.
When the people see other nations
njoy the practical advantages of for
aally established peace, while they
ave actual peace without those adj
antages, the pressure on the senate
NIL become irresistible, and the
reaking Of the anti-league forces
i'll begin. Something stronger than
ctitious alarms or offended senator
i sdfgfifty w6uld be necessary to -