Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-23

| n lessly lost or a great issue more
= ~ Overwhelmingly entangled than in
the failure of the Treaty of Versailles to Sc
cure American ratification. little more
tolerance and little less pride would nave
spared the country and the world this grew
Gus disappointment. Only minority OF the
Senate-a lean and unrepresentatlve MINOR
ity-was hostile to the larger purposes OF
the compact. There were wide dlvergences
of opinion, it is true, on particular clauses.
There were apprehensions that certain ar
ticles, unless duly qualified or explained,
might imperil the nations vital interests.
Within Democratic and Republican ranks
alike there were sincere differences of Judg-
ment as to the most expedient methods of
accomplishing the ends for which the
League of Nations was designed, and the
most advisable words in which to phrase its
serious obligations. But it was on words and
methods, not on basic principles, that the
majority of Senators found themselves di-
vided. How unfortunate, how lamentable
that spirit of large-minded reasonableness
did not unite all who were together in pr1n-
ciple, regardless of the particulars and re-
CARELESS of craftsmanship and pride!
It was the irreconcilables who defeated
the Treaty. We do not mean merely the
and stood from the outset opposed to It's en-
tire design, but all those on both SIDES VINO
refused to deal with the issue in temper
of mutual accommodation. Long ago 1t pc
came evident that the Treaty could not WIN
the requisite majority for ratification IN
precisely the form in which the President
submitted it, Thus the one and only path
to satisfactory peace, the one and only nope
of Americas taking her rightful part in an
international league, lay in agreement upon
Treaty reservations. There was talk OF throw
ing the whole question into the pres1den-
tial campaign, but the wsest friends of the
Treaty and the astutest counselors of the
Democratic party saw how fru1tless That
course would be. They saw that only
third of the Senate is to be elected this year
and that by no manner of means would it
be politically possible SO to revolutionize
the alignment in that body to pass the
compact without substantially such reserva-
tions as the present majority insisted upon.
That was the consensus Of Democratic
press opinion last autumn when the Presi-
dent wrote his unfortunate Jackson Day
letter. and it was the still more pronounced
and widespread opinion at the time of his
more recent utterance discouraging efforts
at compromise which our associates in the
war had indicated would be satisfactory to
them.
The President, it will be readily granted,
acted out of an abundance Of zeal for the
great covenant whose Trainer he chiefly was
nor will the best of motives be denied those
who voted with Borah and the irreconcli-
ables against ratification, and SO defeated
the one from in which the Treaty could be
passed rather than accept reservations. But
would it not have been far better for Amer
lea and far better for mankind if there had
been yielding on the letter of the pact in
order that it's spirit might prevail? How
the matter may be ultimately disposed of is
as yet beyond predicting. 1t is certain, how
ever, that nothing will be gained for the
cause of peace or Of democracy by plunging
the question into a bitterly partisan cam
paign. There has been too much partisan
ship as it is, and too great an injection of
the personal element. Let tolerance and
cooperation now try their hands.