Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-03-17
MAY UNITE FOR
KILLING PACT,
NOT TO AID II
Wilson Program Has Nc
Chance of Approval
Before Senate.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The Argus.)

Washington, d. c.. March H.
Again after nearly six months OF
wearisome debate the treaty OF
Versailles is up for approval or
rejection. There has been no COM
promise. Nothing has been &C
cOmplished since last November
except a reiteration by both sides
Of their original positions. Changes
in phraseolOgy have been made but
the line Of cleavage on principle
remains the same. There is one
chance OF adoption. 1t lies not
with the Democrats-for the ma
iority of them are held tight by
the injunction of President Viii
son-but with the so-called ir-
reconcilables in the Republican
party. In the last vote. they Joined
with the forces of reservationists
led by Senator Lodge and put into
the ratifying resolution the very
reservation on article X which Mr.
Wilson says would nullify the
league. If it does, and the irrecon-
cilables, all along have openly
said they wanted to accomplish
that object, they could not have
much logical objection to voting
for the ratifying resolution itself
That would make the necessary
two-thirds. Defeat OF the treaty
would then be squarely UP to Pres
ident Wilson.
Put All Power In Congress.
Politics has played its part-toC
much of q part-but fundamentally
the vote on article X reveals thai
more than two-thirds OF the senate
OF the United States disagree with
President Wilson on the obliga
tions which America should as
sumo in foreign affairs. The sen.
ate may or may not represent the
true wishes of the American people
elections next autumn may de
termine that-but as at presen
recorded, the senate has voted t
put the whole responsibility fol
the management of foreign affair.
on congress and not on the execu
tive where it has lodged in par
heretofore.
This is the direct consequence Q
1.-THE fact that 1Te ~ III
congress have been Vt odds. l
may never happen again that tn,
presidency is occupied by a mem
Der Of one political party whil,
congress is dominated by member
of an opposite political faith. |
the two branches are Of the saEl'
political complexion and their re
Sponsibility to the country il
single and not joint, then all thu
talk about reservations and all th'
changes that fave been voted upol
specifying that the United States
assumes no obligations unless con
gress says so have been for naught
| America can participate fully il
the League Of Nations or partially
according as congress gives tn
word.
President Wilson. on the othe
hand, having dealt for seven year
with congress. has pictured to him
sell LUc ullllCulllto VI AoihS ohs
thing international if the approva
Of congress has to be obtained TO
each step. He remembers hov
ready a majority of the congres
was to surrender American right
on the high seas when the Nc
Lemore resolution was up. He re
members how hard it has been t
put through congress any treaty o
agreement in seven years, relating
! to a specific controversy. He ha.
had to drive congress. So he be
lieves that the reservations nullif,
the effective cooperation Of tn
treaty so far as America is con
cerned.
But that need not happen if con
gress and the executive are Of on
political party and are driven by
compelling public opinion. Th
whole debate in the senate ha