The Alaska daily empire., 1919-08-06
Mir. Taft to the Rescue.
(New York World.


 Elihu Root having failed to pull the Republican Senators out hole in which they find themselves as result of following the Lodge leadership former President Taft undertakes the task. Personally Mir. Taft does not believe that changes in the covenant or treaty needed. AS he says in his letter to Chairman Hays of the Republican National Committee, Speaking generally, wish to emphasize my conviction that the United States Sen ate might well ratify the present treaty without any reservations interpretations. But Mr. Taft is not dealing with principles in his correspondence with Mir Hays He is dealing with blundering Republican politicians who making their party the victim Of their personal folly. Therefore, continues MT. Taft "I strongly in favor of rafyng the treaty as it is. Were l in the Senate I would not hesitate to for it, but the situation may require conces- sions ratification" and so MT. Taft submits list of concessions which, in his opinion, may en- able the Republicans to claim that they have made important reservations and interpretations which, at the same time, will modify the treaty weaken the covenant.
 Nothing in this correspondence is illumin- ating than Mr. Taft's diagnosis of the mental condi- tion of the leading opponents of the treaty In his second letter to MT. Hays he
 Referring to your telephone to me this
 Sunday morning, l understand you to
 agree with me that it would be unwise at
 this time to bring any suggestions to the
 attention of MT. Root, Senator Lodge, of
 the Republicans ranged in general opposition
 to the ratification of the League without
 reservations What I fear is that if these
 reservations came to the knowledge of such
 opponents of the League their authorship
 will at once prompt opposition to them
 And again:
 I feel it would perhaps be wiser not
 suit MT. Root at all, and certainly not MT.
 Lodge and his sympathetic associates the
 Foreign Relations Committed until the sit
 uation fully develops and the issues
 clearly drawn
 MT. Taft thereby confirms the charges that the World has frequently made that the Senate opposi- tion to the treaty of peace and the League of Ma tfons it's inspiration mainly to personal and political antagonsm of the President All this pre- tense of lofty principle and high patriotism mere camouflage
 MT. Taft has made himself very unpopular with these Republican politicians because, having been consistent advocate of League of Nations, he has supported the President and helped to perfect the covenant. His crime in their eyes lies in having been patriot first and partisan afterward; hence he realized when he wrote to Mr. Hays that, no be, their authorship will prompt opposition to them the part of these Senators.
 Yet there must be limit somewhere to this kind of opposition. Senator Capper of Kansas is of the Republicans who is frank enough to admit that "the fight to reject the treaty is an end' and that the effort to the League covenant from the treaty has practically been abandoned" IL now becomes matter of reservations and nterpre- tations which unnecessary except to enable cer- tain Republican Senators 'save their which Is always the first consideration of the Mandarin type.
 This is the to which Mr. Lodges vindictivc leadership has brought the Senate majority The question is whether the American people arc willing to have their foreign affairs time when their moral political and economic influence is the greatest in the world, regarded merely assets by which bankrupt politicians be saved from a re- ceivership whether they will insist treaties must be dealt with treaties and not as ward po- tics