The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-10-21
ROOT SPEECH
THE BIG GUN
His Friendliness to League
Causes Irreconcilables
Some Anxiety
MAY OVERTHROW
. BORAH AND JOHNSON
Importance of announcement Due to
Belief Root VIII Be Next Secretary of
state or Head of New L. S. Peace
Commission to Europe.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE


Especial Despatch to The Reformerl
Copyright 1920
CHICAGO, Oct 2I.-Elihu Roots
speech in New York favoring the modif.
cation o. the present league of nations
covenant to meet American objections
S now the big topic of discussion at DO
lltlcal headquarters of both parties. The
Importance of Mr.. Roots pronouncement
that everybody in political circles ex-
aectS HIM to be secretary of state in the
ext administration or the head of an
'1ief American peace commission which
VIII negotiate with European govern
menus concerning reservations or changes
IN the covenant of the league
MI. Root s expressed friendIiness to
ne present league did not come as a
mock to the "Irreconcilables'' but it has
auSCd them some anxiety for il was
hardly believed he would have made such
statement without letting Senator
Harding know something about it in ad-
vance. Here Is the portion Of Mr. Root s
speech which Is being accepted now as
ne cardinal principle of the next admin
iStratloGn If Mr. Harding should be
The question is whether the agree
ment creating the league shall be ac-
reptCd absolutely unchanged or shall be
modified TO meet the American Obiec-
tons I would be glad to have the 1ro-
VISIONS OF the agreement so changed as
10 Obylate these (the Americana obiec-
tons Then would follow an ordinary
common sense negotiation as to the best
way to obvIate the objections | think
the American objections can be met and
obvlated without interfering with the
scheme OF the league on impairing its use
fulness.'
1t will be noted that Mr.. Root makes
no reference to the ."Wilson league as
the Republican campaign orators have
been uniformly calling the present league
Moreover, Mr.. Root clears away the no
.Ion that senator Harding would attempt
to establish a new league. He interprets
senator Hardlng's promise. of "a new re-
atlonshlp with Europe to mean revis-
on OF the existing league and use Of pres
ent machinery. To the irreconcilabIe this
means a departure from their supposi-
tlons about Mr. Hardings having
scTapped the league Senator Borah
announced recently that he wants no
league at all but the foreign relations
plank in the Republican national plat
form at Chicago, written by Root
pledges the party to an agreement with
the other nations of the world to pre-
serve peace. Both Senator'S Johnson and
Borah formally approved that plank
To the Democrats hereabouts the Root
sneCch brings confirmation of their
charge that the only purpose the Repub-
leans have had from the start was to
prevent Woodrow Wilson from achiev-
ing during his administration, the distinc-
ton of American membership in a league
OF nations, the creation of which had
been SO largely his inspiration and work.
The Democrats pointed to the Hitchcock
reservations offered in the senate az early
as November 1919 in which practically
every objection recited today by Elihu
Boot was covered, even to the limitation
| of Article ten. ss b .a.'F
| The Democrats naturally see behind il
| all only partisan fight against Wilson
with an attempt to hold him responsible
| or the failure to accent the Lodge reser
| vatiOus when as matter OF fact, accord
| ing to the Democratic viewpoint, the Re
| puhlicans refused to accent the Hitch
| cock reservations. Indeed the Demo
Gratis recalled today the agreement
| reached in the bipartisan conference OF
| senators, whereby reservations on every
| subject were agreed unon eXceDt Article
| ten and then Senator johnson threatened
| Senator Lodge with revolt in the party
and the Massachusetts leader declined
to continue the bipartisan conferences
unless .Johnson's views on Article ter
| were accepted.
| That's what the Democrats think and
| say but Just how much validity then
view has will hardly be proved until aft
| or the election is over and the United
| States actually negotiates for rcserva
tons to the present league. of nations
If America under a Republican admin
| istration should offer the Lodge reserva
tions again. then it will be evident that
nartisanshin had nothing to do with it
II Elihu Root should follow the lead o.
| certain Republicans in the Chicago con
ventiop who opposed a fiat-footed approx
II al of the Lodge reservations because they
/ were considered cumbersome. and il
some respects destructive, it will be ap
narent that the Democrats had SOM
foundation for their charge.
Meanwhile. the speech of Elhu Roo
is considered the big gun of the campaign
not only to keen in line those Republ
cams who had begun to think a vote 70
Harding was repudiation of the pres
L. tLl,r. LIT II, the