The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-12

-SpeAh4nB lOOay concerning recent pO- { htical events, said: Congress adjourned on the 4th of March while a Republican fnibuster ! against pending legislation was still in !! progress. This method of defeating ] legislation has been so often misused 1 in the Senate that the word Hi | buster" has become obnoxious to the public. This particular flibuster was especially offensive and injurious. It prevented action upon many pending measures essential to American bust ness and necessary to the policy of r reconstruction. Amongst these bills were the Lease Bill, the Homestead Bill. the Appropriations necessary for demobilization, the bill providing for an army of 500, 900 men, the Water Power Bill and the appropriation of $T5O. O.0O0,000, required for the proper operation of the railroads. It was the business of the Senate to pass upon these measures. The Senate abdicat- 4 ed Its functions, declined to consider the most pressing of national needs and wasted precious moments in viO- lent political abuse and vehement Op- position to the League or Nations The Senate may be strong in protest but it is weak in performance. It r neglected Its own duty to point out the supposed derellctions of the President and defects in a Peace Treaty which has not yet been com pleted and which Is not before the Senate for Its consideration. The Senate has small hold upon popular favor and this last performance has not improved its standing.
 There are two classes of Senators who are unfriendly to the League of Nations. those who frankly and open lxy hn 1t coveredly. The former, possessing a curious kind of obstinate courage, are bold and defiant in their attitude; the latter, less courageous but prob ably more adroit, express an unctious approval of the Idea and confine their objections to the particular plan pro-
 posed, without, however, offering better one of their own. Roth classes of Senators have the same object in view. They desire to make impossible the creation of League of Nations. The difference exists only in the method of attack. No one who, In his heart of hearts, desires the creation of g, League of Nations has any hesi- tancy in giving to the President hearty and sympathetic support. MT. Taft, for instance, woHld no doubt have framed the proposed League somewhat differently If he were pre-
 
 is big enough to realize that the present draft is composite struc- ture framed after the fullest cOusid- eraticu by the representative of many different nations. Perfection cannot be asked or expected Prac- tica1 results, hoVveyar, car be achtav- ed; and MT. Tact is leudiDg his whole hearted surpNrt to tha efforts of the Peace CoraDatssion to prepars a sat FA ato-s. however, have TO guch breadth of view. Under the leadership of Lodge. FeprGsa and Knox. they have united in a "rouud robiR" announce ment against the pending plan. There IS no diNNcaIity in understanding their motives. They ara actuated, in part, by 2 settled dislike for President Wal son aud all his work; and, in part, ny 2 Axed purpose to embarrass the President and to weaken his iuffu- ence at home and abroad. If this -aanasaver could, by any chance, be successful, 1t would throw the Peace Conference into confusion, destroy all hope Of establishing a League of Ma tion5 and postpone peace and de- mobilization indefinitely. Those who assent to so desperate political de vice assume q heavy responsibility The ul-considered talk about ''a peace treaty first and a League oI Nations afterwards is persuasive only with those who do not under stand the problems involved. Such policy would postpone effective league for generations and 1t would reduce the treaty to a mereRcrap O. paper to be torn to tatters the mo E ment international interests came in to conflict with each other. Th' breakup of empires, the strugglin! into national life of submerged peo ples, the establishment of new repub lies. the creation of buffer states Ol the old line between Berlin and Bag dad, the rise and spread of Bolshe tvisu, the dislocahon of industry upo1 a scale hitherto unknown, the impov erished condition of many nations an the existence of famine over vas 2 areas of territory, have created ney and extraordinary difficulties. All civ ilization is today upon an unsafe an unstable basis
 There is only one force left whic men can summon to steady society an restore and maintain political equili brium A League of Nations Is l very truth, the hope of the world America merely makes peace wit Germany and withdraws from inter national affairs, Europe will fall int chaos. Bolshevism will be given
 new impetus. The new states wi M war with each other and internatioI al intrigue will again be at work. I'll weak peoples. with unstable gover1 ments, would be forced to form a alliance with their nearest and stronE est neishbor; Germany would have
 free hand in Russia. and the Balkan new balances of power would I created, and, in a few years, th whole bloody business would begi --- '. America cannot look upon such
 prospect with composure. Even
 considerations of humanity and goo faith are not to be considered by ol country, surely enlightened sel1isl ness must teach that the diso1 ganization of Europe is disastrous America. If the great war has taugl US nothing else. it has at least den onstrated that there cannot be a ict Iaa&x O. 1T