Evening star., 1919-04-12
OHIO FOR LEAGUE,
P0MERENE'S VIEW
"Three-Fourths Agree, 9th
ers Will When Covenant Is
Understood" He Says.
SENATORS TO SCRUTINIZE


Three -fourths of the people of Ohio
favor a league of nations and half of
the other fourth will when they un
derstand the perfected covenant"
This was the declaration of Senator
Pomerene of Ohio, Il leading democrat
and member of the committee on for
eien relations. who returned today from
a speechmaking tour of the Buckeye
state, having addressed meetings in
Cleveland and Columbus, as weh as in
smaller cities.
The amendments to the covenant
now being made will be snapped up
with avidity by the people" Senator
Pomerene went on to say, "and will
enable senators who signed the round
robin of protest to get on the band
wagon.
People Expect Something.
THE fact is. the people of this
country expect something to be done
in the way of concert of nations
to prevent war in the future. They
will be satisfied with the league cove
nant that the President will bring
back with him and will demand that
the Senate accept it.
sentiment already in favor of the
league since the text of the covenant
was first published and amendments
suggested. In Cleveland 1 found the
sentiment swinging rapidly to the
league, and the same in Columbus"
Commenting on the Monroe doctrine
amendment. incorporated on President
Wilson's motion in the draft, which
provides that nothing in the covenant
shall be construed as invalidating in
ternatonal engagements, such as
treaties of arbitration or understand
ings like the Monroe doctrine for the
maintenance of peace, Senator Pome-
rene said:
"Meets All Objections"
I'm my opinion" he said, "this
amendment meets all the objections
which were urged against the origi-
nal clause, which was alleged to ami
hilate the Monroe doctrine. 1 think
it will be satisfactory to the Senate"
Administration officials here were
in high glee today over the success of
President Wilson in securing the
adoption of the Monroe doctrine
amendment and the bright prospects
for the league of nations agreement.
THE doleful predictions of the Paris
correspondents about the defeat of the
league of nations will only serve to
L II,
said .an administration official of high
| rank. He said the reaction from the
disappointment felt in this country
over the reported defeat of the under
| taking will rebound Immensely to the
Presidents prestige.
Senator's Forecast Accepted.
senator. Hitchcock, who in .yester-
days Star predicted that as amended
the league of nations covenant will
be acceptable to the Senate, is be-
this instance If the amendments turn
out to be ais represented. His opinion
is shared, it is known, by many Sena-
tors who were among the most vigor-
Gus critics of the covenant as first
drafted, and by some who were dis
posed at that time to hold out against
any league of nations in whatsoever
form arranged. .4-s.
In the group of protesting senators
at the outset were men who, aside
anything weakening the Monroe doc
trine, had their doubts about the eff
cacy and wisdom of any league at all.
They have heard from home" since
then. and some of them have been
home. They report that public senti-
ment seems to be in favor of a league
of nations. The man in the street
wants to prevent wars in the future,
and it is pretty difficult, they say, to
convince him that the league of ma
wars.
Senators Must Determine.
So, if the draft comes out with the
Monroe doctrine safeguarded. and with
out yielding the sovereignty OF the
United States over the questions of i'm
migration and other domestic affairs,
the two main objections to the league as
first presented will have been removed
There will remain other objections, of
course. not regarded as absolutely vital
as were these two, and it will then be
a question for senators to determine
whether the minor objections outweigh
the great main purpose of the league
attempted preservation of world peace.
Senator Lodges statement in The Star
yesterday that he would withhold COM
ment upon the amended league Of ma
tons covenant until the text Of the
amendment is available represented the
democratic and republican. who have
criticised the original draft OF the cove
nant.
This 'tshow me" spirit Of the sena-
tors is explained to be due to possible
difference of opinion between them
and the trainers of the league as to
whether the amendment does in fact
protect the Monroe doctrine.
Justification for Scrutiny.
It is pointed out that there is justi-
fication for scrutiny and analysis of
the tent from the fact that President
Wilson thought the original document
carried no infringement of the Mon-
roe doctrine. 1t was only after pro-
test from republican and democratic
senators in number sufficient to pre-
vent ratification that the President
changed his viewpoint. or at least, if
he were of the same opinion still. con-
sented to amendment in order to
placate Senate sentiment.
Now these senators want to see the