El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-07-19
PRESIDENT PLAYING A CLEVER GAME
BUT HE. WON'T WIN ALL THE POINTS

DRESIDENT WILSON is playing his cards well in calling
in Republican senators for conferences the peace
treaty and the league Of nations his idea being to line
them up in support Of the treaty. including the league
He IS calling first those senators of very pronounced
anpathy to the treaty and the league and those who
heretofore have expressed opinion way the
Other evidently seeking to get their pledges before oppon
ens of the treaty and the league their minds
decidedly the other way 1t IS interesting to note that
M Wilson has not yet conferred with senators Knox
Lodge any others of the @ard nuts of the opposition
In fact he may not try to crack them at ALL but devote
his efforts to less conspicuous senators who may be
easily influenced and whose count for much, in
the final anyones He evidently hopes effect
enough to provide the requisite votes for ra
cation of the treaty.
Naturally the president is urging his callers-and all
Of congress for that matteto ray without reservations
Re wants the treaty to 60 through Just written and
with approval withheld from portion Of it. And there
certain amount of truth in his assertion that if the
United States senate notes reservations some parts
TIE treaty. the paraments Of other powers may note
reservations to other parts Of the treaty. thus weakening
the document and causing almost endless confusion
However the temper Of congress is such, both parties
being included that ratification CT the treaty without
reservations is most improbable The senators viii not
reject the treaty altogether for the most preudced
realize It IS, the whole, excellent document, but
there exceptions to those portions which to the
disadvantage Of the United States There is also strong
sentiment in favor of dvorng the league Of nations plan
from the peace treaty and considering each on It's own
merits
Furthermore there is strong feeling that that portion
Of the treaty relating to special alliance between the
United States Great Britain and France for the protection
of against German aggression should be given dis
that alliance yet reservng statement until later
tine but he approves it. he must have signed the treaty
with the idea Of passing responsibility for approving or
disappearing the alliance feature to the senate.
Il has not been often in recent years. that William
Jennings Bryan has struck popular chord but he has
many followers in declaring that the league Of nations
the special alliance antthetca and that the pro
posal Of alliance should be defeated by overwhelming
majority. He says, with great truth:
IAN alliance with France is defended the ground
that It is necessary for her protection. The league Of
nations gives France the protection it does other
nations league within the league would not only dis
credit the league and proclaim lack of faith In it. but
would be destructive force It would dsntegrae the
league Of nations and dsappont the hope If has aroused
France might not mourn, for she opposed to the
league from the beginning, but America would and
whole world would suffer Consistency requires that
who favor the league should oppose the alliance
They represent opposite policies"
It to abolish the trouble breeding special alliances
that the league Of nations has been proposed. Why
vate the league plan by fostering another special aance
So the United States France and Great Britain
form alliance against Germany, the only policy Ger
many have must be to effect alliance with Russia
Austria and maybe Japan, and the smaller states in
the East It is not certain that Japan and Russia
would ally with Germany, but such league is very far
ipossble-and there is the lineup for another
with the league Of nations heplessly shifting from one
foot to the other.
Probably most people know by this time why the
sleal alliance feature included in the peace treaty
because France would not subscribe to the league