New-York tribune., 1920-06-09
William Howard Taft
discusses
Lodges keynote Speech

public will be ignored and that its
participation will be confined to pay
ing the deficit.
Deserved Condemnation.
His description of the Mexican pol
icy is phrased with great force and
justice and the lamentable conditions
under the watchful waiting of Mr..
Wilson, in which he drove General
Huerta from power and turned the
government over to Carranza to COM
plete failure, all receive deserved con-
demnation. In his criticism of the
President on these subjects. as well
as of Mr.. Wilson's determination to
rule or ruin in respect to the exact
form of the league of nations by re-
.Rcting reservations voted for by ma
jority of the Senate, Mr.. Lodge is Sc
we're, but there is SO much of justice in
what he says that he must have had
the intense sympathy of his audience
and VII have the approval of the party
and Of many, many Democrats.
1t is when the Senator comes to the
discussion of the Republican policy as
to the league, and when he appeals to
the convention to stand by the repre-
sentatives of the party in the Senate in
their action, that he strikes a false
note which no grace of diction or at
tack on Mr.. Wilson can conceal. He
rehearses the arguments used by him
in the discussion of the league and in
the Senate against it's ratification as
submitted. 1t is unnecessary to repeat
them row, or suggest answers to them.
They are beside the present question.
Criticizcs Stand on League.
What all are justly concerned with
is the position that Mr.. Lodge takes as
to the future policy of the Republican
party in respect to the league, and
upon this we are given no light. He
describes the reservations on the Mon
tung and on English representatio
He says: "Some of us deeply con-
vinced that there ought to be no league
at all and that absolute safety could
be obtained in no other way; others
of US, more numerous, believed that
the reservations | have described would
protect the United States against the
perils of the covenant if we joined the
league"
II zoe joined the league, does the Sen
ator mean that they did not wish the
league when they voted for it? He
cannot mean this, and yet the careful
desire to withdraw from this vote for
ratification. He does not mention that
the number Of Republicans who favored
the latter course was thirty-fivc, while
the number who opposed the league
altogether was fourteen, and that a
majority of the Senate within seven of
two thirds sustained the league with
reservations. He appeals many times
for approval of what the Republicans
have done in the Senate, but he does
not say whether the action of thirty
five or the action of the fourteen
should be approved.
Can't Smother 1t in Platform
Such approval is important only as
it determines the future policy OF the
party. He docs not advise the conven-
tion to determine this solely important
question, and he evidently deprecatcs
a decision on that point. He seeks to
hold within the party men whose bolt
ing from the party he fears if the con-
vention sustains the action of the ma
jority of which he was the leader But
the difference between the thirty five
and the fourteen is a question which
will not down. which the party repre-
sentatives must decide on March 4 next
Here is an issue upon which the
people who are invited to vote the Re
publican ticket have right to know
what is to be the position OF the party
when it gets into power. 1t cannot be
smothered in a platform. People cam
not be fooled by united attack upon Mr..
Wilson's treaty without reservations,
because every one knows that there is
no chance for the ratification of the
treaty and the league without the
Lodge reservations. The only real
issue over the treaty is whether the
league, with those reservations, shall be
adopted, or whether we shall be left
in confusion dependent on Germany as
to how we are to get out OF the war.
Dodging of Issue Inexpedient
This dodging Of the issue is not even
expedient, because the nominee will be
forced to declare himself on it. If he
declares himself against the league
altogether he will lose the support of
the friends of the league with reser
vations who are undoubtedly forn,i-
dable number in the Republican party.
If he declares for the treaty with the
Lodge reservations he will lose the
Sim Feiners and pro Germans and the