New-York tribune., 1920-07-09
mo Great and Solemn

NO lsfeat and Solemn
President Wilson long had in
mind q 'sgrest and solemn referen-
dun" on his differences with the
Senate over the peace treaty. As
the Presidents latest biographer,
Professor Todd, Of the University
~ Chicago. poiats out, it always
wsmt against the Presidents grain
fo compromise with his political op-
ponents. He preferred in every
case to take an appeal to the voters.
The President could have had his
way with the peace treaty referen-
dunn had it not been for the Admin
istration's wretchedly poor strategy
at San Francisco. The Republican
National Convention accepted his
challenge, It condemned his peace
policy, his draft OF the covenant and
his refusal to allow the treaty to be
ratified with the Lodge reservations.
He could have clinched the issue il
be had directed the Democratic Ma
tional Convention to demand rati~
Acation without the reservations
which he had condemned as "nulli-
tying" but which were supported
by twenty-three Democratic Seu>
&torn.
he may have thought that his
sgsnts at San Francisco notably
M. Cummings and Senator Glass.
wexe framing real referendum on
the line Of the Wilson plan against
sll other plans. But Mr.. Cum
uings and Mr.. Glass yielded to
much pressure for harmony. They
allowed q reservation proviso, offered
BY Senator Walsh, Of Massachusetts,,
TO be attached to the treaty plank.
Mr.. Walsh voted for the Lodge res
ervations- He protected himself and
the Democratic Senator'S who co-
operated with him when he induced
the Committee on Resolutions to ap-
prove this wide-opefl declaration:
1--WE advocate the immediate rati-
Acation Of the treaty without res
ervations which would impair it's
essential integrity, but we do not
oppose the acceptance Of any res
srvations making clearer or more
specific the obligations Of the United
States to the league associates
The supporters of the Lodge res
ervations, whether Republicans or
Democrats, may properly hold that
these reservations do not impair the
essential integrity Of the covenant.
They may fairly argue that the cove
part is made more workable by the
reservations. Certainly the Lodge
reservations arc intended to make
clearer and more specific the obli-
cations Of the United States to other
nsenbers Of the league.
Il Mr.. Wilson had been renomi-
mated. the wording Of the Demo-
CRITIC ratification plank would have
been of less consequence. A ref
erendun on his treaty policy would
have been unavoidable. 1t might
still have been possible if Palmer or
McAdoo had been chosen. But the
contrast between the hazy wording
Of the plank and the original sharp
Issue between Mr.. Wilson's plan and
all other plans has been disastrously
heightened by the nomination Of
Governor Cox-an outsider and the
favorite Of the anti-Administratioh
and Lodge reservationist elements in
] the convention.
There can be no "great and solemn
referendum" this fall. because the
issue, as President Wilson framed
!. it, has been blotted out. Hiram
johnson and James A. Reed were
brothers-in-srms In the treaty dght
in the Senate. Both were ssbittar.
endersp and anti -Wilaonites. No
two minds wexe closer together on
the covenant Yet Senator John
son IS standing sauarsly on the Re-
publican treaty plank, and Senator
Reed, barred from seat at San