Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-11-22
EVENTS OF WEEK

&%#S@8xues 000puOns Q : the CICluf0 rule IN SENATE wa
followed BY = speeding up ofsaction on the peace treaty,
the collapse of all ratification plans, and the adjourn
rnenA sine die OF both houses of congress-. Failure Of the
senate to ratify has left the treaty in suspense. Nowhere
Is the action taken regarded a. final, and the assumption
b that for parliamentary reasons the president will with
draw the treaty from the senate. ~resubmittins it later
The developments OF the week have shown the utter
fanacy Of the Democratic expectation that 1t would be
possible to bring about the ratification OF the treaty
without reservations after defeating the reservation reso-
luton finally accepted BY the senate rs = basis for ac-
tion. Z
n @ = . -
The present status. confusing as it is in this country,
is NO less confusing in Europe. While no onacial state
ment In that form has been made. it has been under
stood that the Allied council at, Versailles was await
Ing the action of the United states, and that its post
ponement Of the steps necessary to put the peace treaty
into effect as between Germany and the nations which
already have ratified 1t has been due to a courteous de-
sire that the United States. If it ratified the treaty, might
be included in the first group of powers to participate
in its operation. American ratification having now been
re!esated to the indefinite future, the European powers
are moving for the early completion of the steps which
will make 1t possible for them to operate under the
treaty provisions. Accordingly, there seems now to be
probability that the necessary process verbal will be
Lied by December L.
@ sg. . = . N
Doubt has always existed rs to the future Of the
League Of Nations IL the United States declined to take
y, place in 1t. 1t has been Predicted that without the, par
sicipahon OF the United States the league would collapse,
AND that NO attempt would be made to carry out any OF
ITS provisions. These predictions have been renewed
since the .senate's vote, and there has been suggested the
probability that the South American republics would fol-
low the lead Of the United States and refuse to accept
he league covenant. There does not appear at this, time
to be a sound basis for these views Great Britain.
France and. Italy are already committed, by the formal
acts Of their governments, to the league principle and
10 this specific covenant. They have already accepted
it. The statesmen Of those countries have admitted tree
y the Importance to the league Of the participation Of
the United States, but it is scarcely to be expected that
hey will admit that the absence Of cooperation BY any
single nation, however important and powerful. Is suf-
sicient to deter them from carrying ont = program which
hey have already approved as beneficial to themselves
nd tci the world ats large.
I. -.
The course to be expected from the three great
uropean Allies is indicated in statements made within
he past few days-by both British and French statesmen,
chat while the cooperation Of the United States was
.arneatly desired. the league must be made operative in
any event The expectation that the South American an
tons viii follow thes lead of the United States and re-
main aloof from the league is by no means in harmony
with the history of South American politics. The Latin
republics have on many occasions shown that they re-
sented the big-brothsr attitude which has often been as
stalAed toward them in this country, and it seems more
likely that they will seize upon this opportunity to dem
onstrate, by joining the league, that their course is in no
wxy dbternained by the acts Of their great northern neigh
Dor. &
.% IN the brief time which will elapse before the open
Ing of the regular session Of congress efforts will be
unaas to reach some basis Of agreement on which treaty
raffflNDfiom will be POSSIBLE. It may be expected that