New-York tribune., 1919-09-10
Vituperation Of No Effect

1~~A e~$AOA VA ANO A>AGNS
The campaign of vituperation may
safely be left, it would seem, to exhaust
itself. The best answer is no answer.
An eagerness to abuse is usually an in
dex of inner doubt and irritation. To
call man whose offence is disagreement
with you "pygmy minded" or "a con-
temptible gutter" or a "scutter" or
"Bolshevst" or a "pro-German" gives
little lasting satisfaction and generally
proves boomerang.
1t was hoped that the President, at
last having broken the seal of silence
he had imposed on himself, would make
a serious and orderly exposition of the
covenant. The public has been most de-
sirous of being taken into confidence.
Millions of minds were not finally made
up, and the telegraph and the press were
ready to carry the argument to the re-
motest hamlet. Seldom .has a public
speaker had greater opportunity to
present a case than the President has
had during the last seven days
And what is the result? Leaving out
epithets which have marred stately ut
terance, it appears that the public has
listened to mere general assertions, to
unsupported conclusions, to appeals to
sentiment. There has been conspicuous
avoidance of issues in dispute and dis
regard Of the specific criticisms of the
covenant
The speeches have been on the as
sumption that it is purposed to defeat
the ratification of the treaty and the
covenant This, of course, is not the
case. The Foreign Relations Committee
has voted for ratification.
So far as the President has made any
argument it seems to run along double
lines: First, that the reservations
merely restate what is already in the
covenant, and hence are surplusage; sec
ond, that they are wicked and abominable
inventions whose adoption will destroy
the league and break the heart of the
world. Both sets Of contentious cannot
be true, yet they are put forward to-
gether, often in the same speech.
But there is an attempt to make up
for the lack Of reasoning by fluent pre-
dictions. War is prophesied it will be
necessary, it is said, to reassemble the
Paris conference. How is this known?
If the reservations are merely surplus
agee redeclarc what is already declared,
who will want settled and rcsettled oues-
tons to be rediscussed? If they are in
the nature Of amendments what nations
Will oppose them and why? Europe de-
sires that America shall participate in
European affairs, but she comedies our
right to decide the degree of our partici-
patton.
AS to going hat in hand to Germany,
as foretold, this is preposterous non
sense The treaty expressly provides
that it shall 90 into effect when ratified
by Germany and three other major
powers; that is to say, the covenant obl-
cations, as part Of the treaty, will be
established, so far as Germany is con-
cerned, without regard to our action. 1t
is impossible for Germany to be at peace
with the rest of the world and at war
with US. She would not want to be, and
under existing conditions cannot be.
Meanwhile at Washington the Senate
shows gratifying signs that it will get
down to business. Senator Hitchcock
hints at flibuster, but it is not likelv he
will carry the threat into execution. Re-
Election will convince him of the impolicv
of artificially delaying the settlement.
--------"---------------- ----