New-York tribune., 1919-07-25
MIR. Taft Adheres


probably exceed in potency those Of any
other living American, and whose spirit
and motive all respect, enrolls himself
IN the growing company of reservation
lists.
Although still Of the opinion that in
actual operation the league would in
terpret the covenant about as the Senate
majority demands, and that, hence,
reservation is not indispensable, never
theless he sees no grave objection to the
method, but, on the contrary, probable
good. Therefore, particularly on prac-
tical grounds, he would have reserva-
tions in the ratification resolution.
He dismisses as clearly a browbeat-
ing invention the once loudly trumpeted
assertion that unless the Senate, meanly
yielding to "Sign Here" dctation, sur
renders its convictions of duty, the
other nations will not sign the treaty
and thus force further conference and
delay. Surely richly merited is the kick
that the heavy foot Of Mr.. Taft admin
listers to the preposterous boast that the
treaty and covenant would be so articu-
lated as to deprive the Senate of any
real participation in treaty-making.
Mr.. Taft, as a lawyer, judge and
a statesman, we'll knows the Con-
stitution cannot thus curtly be dismissed.
AS to where rests the responsibility
for the partisanship which, unfortunate-
ly, has been injected into field of dis
cussion from which it could easily have
been excluded Mr.. Taft has no doubt.
The blame he finds with the White
House. During the war it's occupant
steadily refused to give his administra-
ton non-partisan character Then,
before the armstice was signed, he ap-
pealed not for the election of men stal-
wart in support of the war, but for
Democratic Congress that would support
him and bis party. Next, when prepar-
ing for the peace negotiations, he dis
regarded precedent by ignoring the
Senate and naming q commission not
representative Of the whole country, but
of partisan half Of it. And, finally,
in the long deliberations at Paris, he
stuck to the same partisan course and
publicly insultcd those who presumed to
examine his work.
Here was partisanship of an extreme
type, and it inevitably aroused answering
partisanship. Weignty, indeed, is the
condemnation Of the former President
when he speaks of the "apparent wish
to dictate the policy of the world and
to nonopolizc the credit for It," The
President brought despair to his real
friends by pursuing strange course 1t
is difficult to believe that any man, con-
corning matters so momentous, could be
animated by the motive Mr.. Taft hints
at. Nevertheless, the facts are substan-
TALLY as set down.
The reservations proposed by Mr..
Taft are six, and go further in the di-
rection Of affirmative amendment than
the suggestions of Mr.. Root. He would
assert an unconditional right to with
draw from the league in ten years. and
meanwhile have the right to withdraw
on two years notice, without lodging
elsewhere the privilege of deciding
whether or not this country's OBLIGATIONS
have been kept; he would not have col
ony and a mother country possess repre-
sentatiOn on the council at one time. and
would thus insure 'aganst one power
having more than one vote; he throws
over Article X by saying the powers of
the council under it should be advisory
only, and that Congress exclusively
should judge as to when this country is
to make war; his reservations with re-
spect to the Monroe Doctrine and the
prerogative of determining what issues
are domestic are the strongest vet pro-
posed.
What would be left of the covenant
il these reservations, which Mr.. Taft
says could be accepted, are included?
What would be left would be all that the
covenant probably now is-namelv, an
agreement of the nations to meet in
periodic conference and to perform
through committee certain minor in
ternational administrative duties. The
only thing eliminated would be the
doubt that now prevails as to what the
functions are. The instrument would be
stripped of false pretencc and be ac-
cepted for what it is rather than for
probably what it is not. Thus would be
saved all the affirmative good in the
covenant, and at the same time a vic
tory won for open and honest diplomacy
as distinguished from the secret and
ambiguous kind.
The world wants and needs faith and
trust among the peoples. The way to
secure it is to be plain of speech-to
say yea and nay clearly and definitely.
1t has taken Mr.. Taft some time to see