The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-03-26
Washington Letter.
WILSON KILLS TREATY
IN CONGRESS OPINION

Washington, March 22.-Upon
President Wilson alone is laid the en-
tire blame for the defeat of the peace
treaty and the league of nations.
Members of Congress, irrespective
of party, have no hesitancy in this
conclusion After the failure of the
treaty to get through the Senate last
fall, popular opinion demanded that
something be done to make another
attempt at ratification. Some of the
most obdurate of the Democratic
Senators, who had been acting under
the White House lash, were ready to
accept what would practically amount
to the Lodge reservations American
izing the treaty, if the President were
willing to change his uncompromis-
ing attitude of demanding that it be
accepted in just the form in which
he sent it to the Senate.
Senator Lodge and other Republi-
can leaders in the Senate therefore
brought up the defunct treaty again
in order to do everything in their pow
er to put over a league Of nations
which would conserve American ma
tionality. The effort proved useless.
After maneuverings for political po-
sition, the President finally let it be
known that he considers Article x as
essential to the treaty and its rsser-
vation a notification of the league.
The Presidents reasons for his
stand on this are considered specious
and illogical. He declares in his last
statement on the subject that the
thing the American troops in France
fought for and knew that they fought
for was an organization of peace now
known as the league of nations and
that to deny them the full league as
it was originally written would be
a direct slap at them.
Republican Senators, on the other
hand, take the view that what the
American soldiers fought for was the
protection Of American rights on the
seas against German autocracy. They
declare that the American boys across
the sea had no conception of a league.
These same Senators contend that Ar
ticle X would utilize the vitality of the
United States in all future time to
uphold the British and all other en-
pires in perpetuity; that it would
mean a world held within present
boundaries as against any develop
ment of civilization, which would in
clude freedom for Ireland and India.
They declare that to reserve the right
of the American Congress to decide
when it believes America should go
to war to uphold the boundaries of
any other nation anywhere is only
reasonable and a national safeguard.
The President is of the belief that
Congress of necessity retains this
right under the Constitution and that
it would be superfuous to write it
into the reservation to Article x. The
Republican leaders believe that the
creation of superstate to which
Congress as the legislative body rep
resenting the American people gives
it's assent derogates from such a pow
er to declare war. They therefore
have sought to reserve this power
specifically, so that there might be
no question about it in the future
in any controversy that might arise.
The President says to expressly re-
serve such right nullifes the entire
treaty. The Republican leaders de-
clare that Americas interests are
first with them and that they must
protect them. The President appeals
for "what it is possible to accomplish
for humanity instead of special ma
tional interests" and the Republicans
retort that if Americas interests are
conserved the interests of the world
will ultimately be conserved also, for
the reason that America stands for