New-York tribune., 1919-12-17
No Fifty-Fifty

The latest phase Of the propa-
ganda to befuddle the American
people by telling what is not true is
seen in the attempt to distribute
equally blame for the treaty dead
lock. 1t is said it's a case of fifty
fifty-that if the President is mar
row-minded, something now ad
mitted, so, also are the leaders of
the Senate.
Not so. The responsibility is not
double, but single. 1t does not belong
to Senator Lodge and his associ-
ates. 1t rests with the White
House and the automatic Senators
who register obedience when the
White House telephone tingles.
To hold the contrary is to foster
an idea similar to that circulated by
the pro-German pacitists when they
argued that guilt for the war was
joint-when they ignored as incon-
sequent the fact that one day there
was peace and the next day war, and
that what had happened between
was the Kaiser's order to his hordes
to march. A similar plain record
justifes a definite assignment of
treaty blame.
The Chamber Of Commerce says
it is not in its province to allot re-
sponsibility. 1t must. Neutrality
in thought concerning this vital mat
ter is not possible. AS long as the
ffty-ffty notion is respectfully coun-
tenanced the Senatorial dummies
are not likely to be galvanized into
activity. They must realize their
excuses no longer deceive.
Long is the list of exploded eX-
cuses which now no one has the I'M
pudence to advance. Dead is the
claim that the covenant must be ac-
cepted exactly as written to get
peace. The reservation knife was
able to dssect. Dead is the pre-
tense that it would be necessary to
reassemble the peace conference.
Dead is the taunt that we would
need go hat in hand to Germany.
Dead is the slander that the Repub-
lican Senators wished the country to
scuttle from its international duties.
The party of Roosevelt, champion of
a virilc Americanism, will be strug-
Cling to be true to ourselves, and
thus to the world, when Woodrow
Wilson'S ineffective attempt at lead
ership is forgotten. Dead are a
dozen other buncombe contentious
which have been briefly paradcd and
then abandoned.
No Sherlock Holmes is needed tc
track practically every peace OBJ
stacle to the White House door
Seeds of trouble were planted wher
the President, on the theory that ht
ruled alone, ignored his constitu
tional partner Though ampl,
warned, he gave no heed. The dis
ease of one-manism, an ancient NAL
ady, had attacked him. His syco
plants, of course. did not tell hin
his course was absolutely impos
sible.
The President, in arrogant pride
next assumed he so commanded ac
cess to the public that he could com
pei acceptance of his will His Gun
ming having failed in its spring, h
tried bluster and then misrepresenta
tion. Futile. The Senate refuse
to be stampeded and steadily tn
soundness of its position has grow
in popular estimation.
Now, after six months of unneces
sgsary delay due to the President, tn
best immediate hope of ratification
is in inducing Senators to cscap
from the Presidents pocket. The
are ready enough. it is said, to jun
I Tor liberty, but prison cautiousnes
Is with them and they don't dare
10 put courage into their hearts an
to stimulate them into repudiatin
the mo compromise mandate of tn
President is to contribute to rat
fication.
The Senators associated with Ser
ator Lodge are ready to vote 70
ratification on terms whose reason
ableness is now conceded. They d
not stand on forms, do not insist o
their precise way All they ask is
definite offer backed by twenty-fou
+-&itional Senate votes-enough t
make up the essential sixty-fou,
Will the Administrator Senators de
mechanic themselves?
9ae Tribune has steadily urge,
MtzNCatien. 1t urges it now. Th
svvenant is no fair-haired boy, bu
We can afford to join other nations