Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-29
WILSON BELIEVED
COOL ON MANDATE
Even Hitchcock and Colby Said
to Show Indifference to
Armenia
POLITICIANS DISLIKE ISSUE
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT
star Correspondent of the Evening Pubii
Ledger

the Armenian mandate Is a sort Of
foundling. President Wilson has ac-
knowledged paternity of the infant, that
Is all. 1t looks as II il were not going
to be brought up among the Wilson
children but let out to the care of some
baby farmer.
Even Senator Hitchcock. ever faith
full. has indicated coldncss. The
Democratic party acts as il it would
be glad to forget the Presidents in
discretion.
The most singular behavior of all is
Mr.. Colby's. The secretary of state
probably is the most loyal Wilson man
In Washington. He was chosen for
his place because of his loyalty. He is
what Colonel House would have been
before the colonel was suspected OF
being n victim of the English il the col
onel had happened to be secretary of
state.
Does Mr.. Colby act as il the heart
of the world would break II this coun-
menia?
After the President had sent his mes
sage on Armenia Mr.. Colby did not
lift a finger to get Congress to vote
the executive authority to take charge
Of the new country.
Sent Carr as Substitute
When the Senate foreign relations
committee asked Mr.. Colby to come
UP TO the Capitol and explain to it
Just why his country should take up
the proposed duty in the Orient. Mr..
Colby sent word that he was too busy.
As a substitute he directed Mr.. Carr
to attend the committees hearing and
tell it what he knew about Armenia.
Mr.. Carr is a nonpolitical person.
He does not speak as Democrat. He
is permanent adjunct of the State
Department As head of the consular
service, he was calculated to know little
about Armenia and TO care less. Mr..
Colby, it is said declared he was not
only too busy to talk about Armenia,
but that he knew nothing about Ar
menia. He gave the impression of not
caring, either.
Supposing President Wilson to be
passionatCly devoted to the mandate.
would Mr.. Colby have been too busy TO
go to the Capitol? Would Mr. Carr
have gone as his substitute?
When you mention the Armenia man
date to a Democratic politician he ex-
claims
"The poor old Democratic party.
The League of Nations without a letter
of the covenant changed. Money and
soldiers to protect Armenia. And
Palmer's campaign managed by the
opposing counsel in the big fraud suits
which he has to prosecute. What IS
going TO happen to U.S.
Don't Want Armenian Issue
They do not want Armenia as an
issue in the campaign. Like Mr..
Colby, they are too busy and they don't
know anything about it.
IL is not merely the cost of the man
date and the obligation it would create
of sending American soldiers abroad
which makes the Democrats shver at
the word Armenia. dispatches from
abroad make the issue worse, These
dispatches say that allied Europe would
like to have an American military
barrier against the entrance of the
Bolsheviki into Turkey.
Armenia is at the point Of possible
Junction between the Moslcm world
and the Russian Red forces. An
American force at this point thrust!ng
Mustapha Kemal out Of Armenia would,
, say the dispatches. dsCrcdit the Turk
and make the Turkish treaty workable.
In other words. an American force
in the Orient would make the Job of
England and France there easier.
Arguments like these bring up the
whole question Of American cntanEIe-
ment in foreign affairs in its acutest
form And the Democratic politician,
do not want 1t IN any more acute form
than the League Of Nations proposal
presents.
Thcrc is admittedly some demand for
the Armenian mandate in church cir
cles. Foreign missions favor American
protection for this Christian people in
the Orient. And after Americans make
many expressions Of interest in Ar
menia, 1t is difficult TO refuse aid 70
Armenia now that she is free.
No Strong Demand for Mandate
But the Democratic politicians feel
that this sentiment j. not sufficient 10
overcome the general uIwilingncsg 20
undertake responsibilities in that 0vsr.
ter OF the globe. They think that BY
asking for Il mandate the President has
considerably Icssen"d Democratic
chances of success IN NOvsm5ar
Washington judges FROM sir. Coiby'S
GOODNESS ON Armenia that the President
will not press his request upon Con.
gress. 1t is thought here that: like
the French Alliance. ii" ..r.Grnau
mandate win be abandoned. Iue Pres
idout will feel that he has fulfilled all
his obligations to his associates at
Paris. Mr.. Wilson o. Pari, Irt him
self be carried away by the atmosphere
of the ncgariati"n-. II" forgot how his
program would sound on this .ilr Of
the water.
lie committed himself to the French