The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1919-12-25


compromise in order to save some
, sort Of peace and some sort of
, league, they would have been willing
at to hear what could be said in be-
half of other reservations on which
agreement might have been reached.
But when the Lodge reservations had
been defeated and the Vice President
ruled that other reservations were in
order, his ruling was overturned by
a vote Of 81 to AZ. There was no
debate, Of course.
The preamble contained the pro-
posal that three of the great Powers
must accept the Lodge reservations.
No one can devise a plausible reason
why we should thus faunt red flag
in the face of our associates in the
war, unless it is the plausible, not to
say obvious, reason that their GER
tain refusal would kill the Treaty so
far as we are concerned. Senator
McCumber offered an amendment
which, while leaving the Treaty
thoroly Lodgeified in all other re-
spects, would have taken out this
gratuitous insult. Senator Poindex-
ter RAISED point of order against |
it, the Chair overruled it, and the
Republicans overruled the Chair by
SO to 46.
Senator Pomerene then proposed
COMMITTEE on Cancellation" headed
by Senator Lodge and Senator Hitch
cock, for the purpose of seeing if the
contending factions could not get to-
gether on something that would sat
isfy both sides. The Republicans
would not hear debate on this pro-
posal, either. On motion of Senator
La Toilette they tabled the motion
by vote of 46 to AZ.
1t is needless to say that these are
not the acts Of men who seek the
peace of the world and the formation
of league to preserve it, despite the
fact that their leaders have rendered
lip service to both ideas. The acts
are as destructive as their discourses
pretended to be constructive. The
tabling without debate of the Pome-
rene motion is the clearest proof
possible of their determination not to
amend but to destroy. What can be
the reason of this inveterate hatred
Of an ideal which the nation cherish
es, even supposing that there are par
ticular clauses in the Treaty which
should have intelligent, reasonable,
and careful reservations? Senator
Lenrott blurted it out ina moment of
anger. When a Democratic Senator,
Mr.. Fletcher, begged the Republicans
not to block any well-meant effort to
bring about agreement, Senator Len
root, "his face flushed" angrily re-
piled:
"There will be no compromise. II
the President wants this Treaty he
must take the reservations substan-
tally as adopted today"
"If the President wants this
Treaty" AS if nobody but the Pres
ident figured in the matter at all; as
if the country and the other nations
had nothing to do with it. To the
passion blinded minds of these SEN
ators it is merely duel between the
Senate and the President, no COM
promise to be considered as between
the two fighters. The nation has no
interest in it at all. 1t is not a mat
ter of satisfying the people, it is sim
ply a matter Of conquering an obstin-
ate man from New Jersey who has
hurt the Senate's feelings.
The country is too much interested
in the creation and preservation Of
peace to accept this view Of the mat
ter as merely a political row, or to
let it prevail. Peace we must have
a League Of Nations we must have.
The Treaty must be presented to the