Evening star., 1919-03-21


well as Charles Z. Hughes. oppos-
ing any partisan lineup on the ques-
tion, the most interesting develop
ment from a political point of view is
the ground swell of enthusiasm which
has lately arisen for the nomination
and election of William Howard Taft
as the next President Of the United
States.
See sSecond Cleveland"
Talk Of second Grover Cleve-
land" and "the man who has learned
to puE the interests of the nation
above those of few senators" and
similar compliments are contained IN
numerous letters reaching here from
! different parts Of the country. These
letters inquire. "1s there a Taft or
lganization?" or "Should there not be
one instituted at once?" To all Of
which the close friends of Mr.. Taft
reply in the negative.
The former President is simply in
terested in the league of nations, and
to those who say he is hurting his
chances for the nomination by siding
with Mr.. Wilson and splitting his own
party the answer comes: Mr.. Taft
doesn't care one whit about his own
political fortunes-he is interested
only in the. league Of nations"
Comes Of Espousal Of League.
But the unmistakable fact is that
the sudden enthusiasm for Mr.. Taft
grows out Of his espousal Of the
regardless of whether it proves strong
enough to bring Mr.. Taft the nomina-
tion, which is not being ignored by
the political sharps.
II the league Of nations can sudden
ly give prestige to Mr.. Taft, not mere
ly among democrats. who, after all.
will have nothing to do with the re-
publican national convention, but
among the rank and file of the repub-
licans. what would a determined op-
| position on the part of the republican
party to the league Of nations do to
| that self-same party?
Or. to put it another way. can the
republicans permit the democrats to
take all the credit for the creation Of
the league, assuming that its forma-
questions which are being revolved
by the national leaders, and the word
has gone out from many a wise head
in republican councils that it would
be folly to allow the impression to
| grow that the republican party op-
poses an international concert Of
power to preserve peace and favors
! return to the isolation policy fol-
I lowed by the United States before the
war.
The strength Of Mr.. Taft is. there
fore. an index to some extent Of how
many republicans throughout the
country feel about the league Of ma,
tions. Many business men who have
| always been the backbone Of the re-
publican party are insisting that a
| policy OF diplomatic isolation means
! q loss of opportunity to the United
States for unprecedented commercial
| expansion, and that the prestige and
good faith and good will of America
| is at stake in her willingness or un-
! willingness to help Europe out Of her
| present chaos.
Has Learned Lesson
The talk Of Mr. Taft for President
| emanateS. however, not merely from
| conservative elements in the repub-
| lican party who think a man of his
| the ship of state in the vital matters
| which are going to be before the ma
| ton IN the next generation. especially
with the United States q member Of
the league Of nations, but from pro-
gressive elements who say that Mr..
Taft has learned the one lesson SO
vital to leadership readiness to take
| issue with the provincial views Of in
dividual senator's when the interests
| Of the nation were at stake.
There are those among Mr.. Tafts
close friends who insist that the for
mer President was ready to take such
a decisive step after the Payne-Ald-
| rich tariff bill was passed and would
have called for its revision If the
democratic party had not gotten con-
troll Of the House in 1910 and tangled
the machinery.
In aSy event. the letters reaching
here which speak in such compliment
ary terms of Mr.. Taft are from all
parts of the country. The fact that
Mr.. Taft was big enough and broad
enough to urge proposal which 80
many in his own party in the Senate
the friendship Of many Independent
| voters who feel that At least they
would be assured OF a non-partisan
mind in the White House, but the ad-
jmiration Of many republicans who are
not necessarily in favor of q league.
Consistent in Attitude.
Certainly. within a few months, the
league( as political issue will have
of the Paris conference will have
been taken. Those who believe that
a league is inevitable foresee Mr.. Taft
riding into great popularity on the
same crest of the wave that must fol-
low the actual conclusion Of state
Of war and the declaration of a state
| of peace throughout the world.
There are those who are unalterably
opposed to Mr. Taft, who somehow at
/ tribute his championship Of a cause
alongside Mr.. Wilson as a clever
political maneuver, but the answer to
! that is a fair examination of the rec
| ord. Indeed it. will be found that it
was Mr.. Taft. as president of the
| League to Enforce Peace, who con-
stantly besought Mr.. Wilson as early
as May. 1915, to declare himself in
| favor OF an association OF powers to
preserve peace.
| Mr.. Taft and Mr.. Wilson spoke from
! the same platform in Washington that
year in favor Of league of nations,
| and the present attitude of the former
President is simply consistency, no
| matter what other members Of his
| party may say or do.
Judgment Of Americas Duty.
Mr.. Tafts experience in the presi-
dency gave him a vision OF ipterna-
tional affairs which made him the
| champion of the cause Of universal
arbitration. and he has not allowed
| possible advantage or disadvantage
to himself or his party to interfere
with his judgment Of Americas duty.
That's why-right or wrong on this
question, and events will soon prove
| (C-pyhEht. 1919. BY N. Y. Dsening Pest. Ise.l