Evening star., 1920-03-20
TREATY REJECTION
AS PA|GN ISSUE
HAS MANY ANGLES
Effect on Political Parties
and Individual Aspirations
Discussed.
by n. o. MEssENCER.

BY N. q. MESSENGER.
What will be the bearing upon the
presidential campaign of the rejec-
tion of the treaty and the league of
nations?
Do you happen to have a diamond
handy? Just note the number of its
facets and gather an idea of the num-
bers OF angles to this question, the poll
ticians will tell you. as they rub their
puckered rbrowsss stfyfHg to peer into
lithes political future.
The first thing they expect from the
public is demand to know where the
responsibility rests for the, defeat.
The next consideration will be, What
VIII the two great parties do with the
subject of the League of nations in
their convention platforms. And then,
How will individual presidential as
pirations be affected?
Divided Responsibility.
Analysis of the vote. of course, shows
the responsibility to be divided be-
tween democrats and republicans. with
President Wilson held personally ac-
countable for the vote of section of
the democrats. If only seven of the
twelve republicans who voted to kill
the treaty had voted with the twenty
eight other republicans in favor of
ratification, it would have been saved.
If only seven of the twenty-three
democrats who voted to kill the treaty
had voted with the twenty-one demo-
Gratis who favored ratification, it
would have been saved.
A combination of twelve republicans
and twenty-three democrats suficed
to defeat ratification. The twelve re-
publicaqs are quite content to assume
their share of the responsibility. and
go before their constituents in de-
fense of their action. The twenty
three democrats are presumably in
the same attitude. resting their case
upon the assertion Of President Will
treaty in the form finally presented
in the Senate for ratification was
Unacceptable" to him.
The remainder of the Senate is be-
lieved to be genuinely disappointed
over the outcome and thinks that the
country joins in the sentiment. After
the fight over reservations had ended
and they had been adopted, there was
an overwhelming demand for ratifica-
tion OF the treaty as thus conditioned,
World. ardent supporter of the Presi-
dent and leading democratic organ
of the administration, advised the
democrats to ratify. The Louisville
Courier-Journal and Atlanta Consti-
tuition had done likewise. The great
Independent journal. the Springfield
Republican. stanch hacker of the
president. had also SO advised They
presumably represented public opin-
ion. Mr.. Bryan had vehemently urged
ratlncation. and many hold him to be
good democrat.
League as Campaign Issue.
Next question:: What will the +uo
great parties do with the league Of
nations in their Platforms? The poIi-
ticians seem to be generally agreed
that both parties will be Compelled to
favor some kind" of a league of ma
lions. IONS; pi1erentlating as to what
Kind" OF league, the republicans will
stand pat on demand for an Ameri-
canized covenant, as thev tern, n.
that is to say. covenant which re-
moves all doubt as to the strict nres-
eryation OF American rights. interest
and adherence to time-honored and
fundamental foreign policy.
1t is not believed by the majority
OF the republicans at the Capitol that
the group of twelve irreconcilabies
will be able to dominate the repub-
lican national convention and hrinp
out platform utterly repudiatine
the league of nations. Such a thourhf
would refute the Judgment of the
twenty-eight republicans who voted
for final ratification, and contravert
the advice Of all the great leaders
outside the Senate and the national
party managers.
What will be the nature Of the demo-
cratic platform on the league of No
tions Is at present uncertain as to
the specific declaration and beyond
the approval Of the general idea. So
far as seen, now. they can only fall
back on the Presidents insistence
that the reservations did not Amerf-
canize but nullified the covenant.
Effect ON Individual Aspirations,
But there were twenty-one demo-
cratic senators who did not sustain
the Presidents contention. The num-
Der included some of the acknowl-
edged best thinkers in the party, as
well as men whose democracy cannot
be challenged. That they had the
courage of their convictions was
shown in their putting their convic-
tions above fealty to a party leader.
OF the republican candidates for the
presidential nomination Senator
Johnson OF California voted outright
against ratification. Senator Poindex-
ter was paired against it and Sena-
tor Harding was paired for 1t. Out
side the Senate. Gov. Lowden and
Gen. Wood are on record as favoring