Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-18
Circulation Every 1A1zC
Evening Yesterday III 10
More Trouble Over the Treaty.

More Trouble Over the Treaty.
Very surprising and decidedly discon-
cert ing is the latest revelation in respect of
he alleged threat by President Wilson to
recall from the Senate the Treaty of Yer
sailles and observation-disclosures Pact
If the Allies went ahead with their plan Of
settlement of the Adriatic question with
out the consent of the United States. The
belief that he had actually made such a
threat naturally created great excite
ment at London, Paris and Rome, and
drew forth some excited expressions of
defiance and retaliation. This, however,
also was natural. in the peculiar condition
that had been created
Yesterday the statement was made from
the White House at Washington that
President Wilson had uttered no threat.
but merely had said such withdrawal Of
Treaty and Pact might have to be con
sidered' if the Allies proceeded with the
Adriatic settlement without the co-opera-
ton Of the In tied States. Flatly against
this statement was the publication in .
tIio newspaper bl an ditiCit ltA WHICH ~
was said the postscript TO President Will
sons memorandum from which the note
was drawn up "contai ned the most brutal
menace that if his warning was UNDECIDED
he would withdraw both the Treaty of
Versailles and the Anglo-Franco-Ameri-
can pact from the Senate"
These publications at least indicate
that there remains great deal of light TO
be thrown upon the subject before the
people on both sides of the Atlantic will
have a clear understanding of the situa-
ton. II is difficult TO conceive of President
Wilson going to such an extent without
the most adequate and convincing grounds
TO justify his action, and il is equally
difficult to understand how such radically !
differing statements should find express I
sion in Paris without something sub /
stantial for them TO rest upon There Is
trouble somewhere, due either To mis- I
underst anding or to misrepresentation /
The surprising dismissal of Secretary of I
State Lansing indicates far more behind it
than the announced reasons. and what
may be yet IN concealment Is problemati-
cal. The only thing that can clear the
situation is a full and plain statement of
facts
But, after all, this trouble. as we'll as
every other vexed question harks back TO
the unpatriotic and almost traitorous
dealings of the United States Senate with
the Treaty Of Peace and the League of
Nations Covenant. Had prompt ratihca-
tion been extended to these matters, there
would have been no trouble The incubus
of the great war would have been lifted
from our country, and the work of recon-
struction and Encouragement could have
been conducted by this time to a most
assuring extent. The d D'Annunzio fiasco in
he Adriatic might have been nipped In
the bud and the Eiume question settled by I
the united agreement, followed by action.
Of all the Allies, instead of protruding itself 8
1t this late day as an ugly threat of future !
conditions and entanglements that may
prove difficult of satisfactory adjustment. c
What benefit prompt action by the t
senate would have impaired TO this coun- c
ry Is almost beyond comprehension 4
Certainly, unless the Congress firmly re- a
'olved TO do absolutely nothing in the de-
lred direction, much progress could have e
been made by this time in reconstruction v
egislation and In determining the many /
.erplexIng questions included in the final 0
var settlement. But nothing has been c
iecomphshed along either line, although 4
ational interests are suffering every day f
ne uncertainty Is prolonged II is, indeed. G
veritable ''Pandora's box" of troubles b
ational and international, winch the n
enate has opened by its partisan dila- a
Drlness and unpatriotic stubbornness.
Never before was the country and the l.
orld afflicted with a spirit Of distemper of gi
Ich magnitude and of such foreboding h;
disabilities. 1t is not possible at this time de
see gleam OF daylight, or the proba- nc
lity of reign of patriotism and com Of
lon sense at Washington Fortunately,
ie temper of the people is sound and
surIng They are enduring their irrita- M
Dns with surprising patience and hope rit
ilness, despite the unpromising pros tn
'ct of favorable change in the future. Of
least they may issue orders for a cle
iange-a radical change-of policy and
'tion at the November elections.
ihe italian government has been very We