The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1920-04-02
Senate Kills The Treaty.

anship and Incompetence came
appropriately miserable ending
rday in the vote, 40 to 35, re-
ig the Treaty. Senator Lodge
accomplished his purpose, but not
lie way he had planned. He has
II wavered in his resolve to de-
y Mr.. Wilson's work, but he in
led that the Senate should ratify,
President reject. 1t was not the
atty of Versailles that he would
Ye ratified, neither he nor his Re-
blican associates would have as
tied to that; it was his purpose to
tify his WI League covenant, the
Angled remains of the compact after
and his packed Committee on For
en- Relations had worked their evil
i'll upon it and shorn away those pro-
isions which afforded a hopeful pro-
ection against war.
He was baked in that design by the
offensive and impossible reservation
respecting Ireland proposed by Mr..
Gerry, a Democrat Senator from
Rhode Island, and adopted by the
Senate. AS a retort to Mr.. Lodges
partisan tactics, the Gerry reservation
is politically understandable. 1t can
not for one moment be defended or
condoned, even on that ground. Mr..
Gerry manouevred to force the SEN
ate to reject the Treaty, which was
not at all what Mr.. Lodge wanted.
The Senate is Republican, and there
rests the responsibility for the re-
lection. Mr.. Lodge might at any
time have secured ratification will
reservations sufficient for every rea.
sonable purpose, reservations not OBJ.
viously intended as dagger-thrusts
He has been beaten at his W game
a most d~espicable, deadly game, anc
upon him, as the leader of the Re
publican majority, the actual respon
sibility falls and will rest.
The end he sought to accomplish
did not justify Senator Gerry's res
ervation about Ireland. No merel
political exigency could justify sue
an affront to a friendly nation. 1t
conceivable that the vote of the Ser
ate to inject matter of this %offensiv
nature into an instrument of inter
national importance might disturb on
relations with a Power with whic
we should always be on terms
friendship. Mr.. Gerry has been lit
heard of in the Senate; he is no
heard Of to his serious disadvantag
The wreck Of the Treaty is so con
plete that the country may well d
spair Of any salvage. But to say tn.
this great instrument of liberty al
-peac cannot be saved would be, !
deed, a counsel of despair, unwortl
% the acceptance of a nation viii
only a few months ago cherished n
Bic aspirations, the aspirations abo
ali of ending the World War in
way to make the repetition of it il
possible. Although the Treaty of VI
sailles was killed on Nov. 19-'
have the high authority Of Senat
Lodge for the statement that it W
then dead although Mr.. Lodg
W treaty has now been killed, he
is not dead and hope should susti
the soul of every man and woman
the country who loves peace and
hors war. Now that the bloody We
has been done in Washington tn,
should be a revulsion of feeling the
Would it not be possible for Presid
Wilson to take advantage of his pr
ent opportunity to address to the S
ate and to the country a staten
~picturing forth, as he of all n
knows best how to picture forth,
consequences of our failure to ri
fly the Treaty, of our refusal to
come a member of the League of
tons?
Such a statement would be eff
tive in proportion that it was not c
troversal. Let him portray the pl
ent condition of the world, the recC
" observed and lamentable tend
cies toward a relapse into old W
and practices, in contrast with
condition Of hopefulness and secu
dependent upon law and right
Justice in the relation Of peoples wi
would be established by u entry
TO the society Of nations We are
one remaining great Power that h
alof. Such an attitude was not
pected Of US, a year ago the Amer
people themselves would have
it was impossible. We cannot
alof, for neither we nor the W
can afford to face the consequer
the certain disasters flowing from
abstention. Some men may tall
presidents, they may say that
impossible that the Treaty SHOULD
rav;,,od md raeuhmittad Let pi