The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-10-11

definitely abandoned the present league
of nations, with or without reservations
or interpretations or any obligations
whatsoever, and declared for new as
! Here in New York, where the impor-
lance Of the existing league with its
membership of 80 nations is recognized
by many Republican business men, as
having a vital relationship to the stabi-
ization of world economic conditions and
the prosperity of this country, the action
of Herbert Parsons Will make votes for
Cox. There is disappointment among
Republicans that Senator Harding sur
rendered to Senator's Borah and John
son, and threw overheard Senator Lodge
and former Senator Root Had Mr..
Harding come out for the present league
with the Lodge reservations, as he voted
a year ago, he would have preserved
party harmony His alliance with the
Borah-J ohnson wing of the party has
disconnected Republicans The Demo
Gratis are cocksure the PSYCHOLOGICAL turn
ing point in the campaign has come and
that the sympathy of the country will
be converted into a big moral crusade,
such as swept the nation in 1916 and
caught the women's vote.
The Republican nominees speech
against the present league even with res
ervations is not the only thing that is
causing trouble. The Republicans who
nave EPCO2llEed harding as hardly d
strong figure himself, have fully expected
him to surround himself with the wisest
men in the party and take their coun-
sell His departure from Root and Lodge
at the outset is disquieting to the con-
sentative branch of the party. For in
stance, in the same speech at Des MONIES
Mr. Harding said the law eXempting
American shipping from Panama canal
tolls was repealed at the instance OF
Great Britain" and by Mr. Wilson and
"his party" when, as a matter of fact
Messrs Lodge and Root led the fight for
the president and the newspapers here
to-day feature a quotation from Ellhu
Roots speech on the floor of the senate
when the bill was repealed in which he
said: But we are told, sir, that we
must not repeal this statute at the be-
hest of Great Britain What has Great
Britain said to u.s. She has said that
she considered this statute to be viola
ton of a contract. Do the American
people wish their representatives to treat
all other nations that are in conventional
relations with Us, upon the theory that
any question of right to them by us IS a
surrender? Do they want us to conduct
our foreign affairs on the principle Of the
and shouts for the fiag?"
The British government considered
that the Panama canal tolls act was vlo-
lation of the Hay-PauncefOte treaty. 80
did Mr. Root and other distinguished
American iursts. That's why congress
repealed the law.
Now Senator Harding has declared for
a restoration of the law, which Inevi-
tablv means complications with Great
Britain and further international bad
feeling 1t has been confidently said that
if America submitted the case to arbl-
tration. she would surely lose. What Re
publicans who have thought all that con
troversy over with are wondering ls to
what extreme Senator Harding :. might
There's a revolt on in the Republican
party. Senator Borah threatened I sena
tor Harding and won out. The Idaho
senator has earned the respect OF Dem
ocrats for the sincerity Of his position
and the fact that he has been ready t
stand by his convictions at any cost
Something Of the same admiration IS telt
hut not expressed, by Republicans tol
Herbert Parsons former Republican
national committeeman from New 1orf
state. and as straight a Republican Oh
domestic issues as anybody in the party
The league Of nations may become tht
vital and controlling issue OF the present