Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-06
"RESENTMENT" OVER GREYS
LETTER is CHEAP POLITICS
Now That We Know Europe's Attitude
On Treaty Changes Only Partisan
obstnacy Can Bar the Way
to Ratification

"WHG shouldn't the treaty be rati-
w fed?" sneers Hiram Johnson.
Great Britain says we may. We have
| received permission to ratify our own
reservations
"The Republicans" snarls the New
York World "are now willing, it appears,
to follow the lead of the former British
secretary of state for foreign affairs"
Interference of British in United
States resented shrieks the New York
| American in super-headlines
Politics makes strange bed-fellows. In
this instance, although the motives of
three representatives of disparate fac
tions are utterly dissimilar, they have all
! played the same card, and under the i'm
! preston. evidently, that it was trump.
Taking the trick by the inflammation
! of anti-British sentiment is not, however,
! so easy in this case as it might super
/ icially appear The issue is not merely
! one of Anglophiles versus Anglophobes.
/ Until Britain and America cease to be
their relations will be colored by fears,
rivalries. condolences and affections. But
| Niscount Grey's letter forecasting Eng
/ lish acceptance of American reservations
! to the peace treaty was much less a SEN
| timental than an intensely practical pro-
| nouncement. 1t specifically answered
! question which has been puzzling the
| public for many months.
Will Great Britain - her European
| leadership establishing her as spokes-
man for the other gnatories-sanction
American alteration in the pact of YER
| sailles?
! There is excellent reason for believing
that President Wilson on his return from
| abroad did not foresee how the situa-
! tion would change. 1t was only natural
that statesman who had participated in
/ the perilous complexities of the Paris
| conference should champion an un-
amended treaty as a quick and secure in
| strument of peace. The picture of a re-
| opening of the sessions had the sinister
! hue of nightmare.
The Senate, too, despite many shame
less moves on the political chessboard,
| experienced most disquieting qualms. It
was because of them chiefly that the
treaty deadlock ensued. Factions seek
! ing to discredit the President were eager
. to tinker with the treaty and at the same
/ time fearful of accepting the response
! biity for new international dissensions
+
| Hence the absurd spectacle of the re-
! lection of drastic amendments by sena-
! tors politically in sympathy with the pre-
valing complexion of the foreign rela-
tions committee which framed changes.
In other words. some of the Republicans
/ wanted to go as far as they could and
! were afraid to go as far as they wanted.
It was this process of qualification
{
/ prompt to capitalize into an asset of their
! own. They could be recklessly obsti
nate-and they were-so long as their
opponents dreaded to face the conse7
ouences of their acts. What may have
| been commendable motives became COR
roded with the tincture of cheap parti-
! sanship.
Mr.. Wilson himself seems to have been
tainted with it. His ill-advised Jackson
Dav letter may be adduced as evidence.
The President was representing an ele-
ment in the Democratic party which
sought to embarrass Republicans en-
gagged in the difficult task of graphing
| with mysteries.
Viscount Grey's timely announcement
cleared the air. 1t is simply monstrous
to interpret it as bumptious interference
in American internal affairs, for the
question up for solution is international.
Senator Johnson lashes himself into a
fury at the thought that these many
months of fighting for equality in the
league can only bring the desired con-
summation with the consent of the British
empire"
We wonder how the senator from Cali
fornia rents a house? Does he rage al
the landlord for not accepting the John.
sonan figure and insist on confining the
transaction to performance by only g
single party or does he realize that there
are two sides to a contract? If the
League of Nations is not contract basec
on reciprocal conduct, then it is indeed
merely scrap of paper.
Viscount Grey is in the position of ar
agent who says that his principal has
modified the contract terms. The Oppo
site party can accept them or reject them
That is his privilege. We need not entel
the League of Nations. But if we do gt
in with reservations we now have yer!
significant inkling as to the sort of term
on which agreement can be reached Ac
cording to Mr. Johnson such necessary
information is impudent; the New Yorl
World, so often sincere in its convictions
envisages the Republicans as led by for
eiener; the New York American resent
"British interference"
, Unless either fear or love of England
: can be divorced from the present statu
of an international theme honest discus
, sion of it is impossible. The politicians
, ! Dan,ocratic or Republican, are reVertinj
70 antiouated methods in their efforts t.
= stir up anti British sentiments because o
, Viscount Grey's conciliatory bulletin.
: There is no end to the game of match
. inc national moralities or immoralities
If the life of the League of Nations wer
: dependent on the success of each part
convincing the other that it was the sol
4 renository of national virtue there woul
= 4. .