New-York tribune., 1920-08-06

4 Progressive Unwilling 10 Follop
Republican Party Blindly


Republican Party Blindly
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Progrcssives are individually
(party Is not fetish with them) seek
ing out their plain duty as Americans
having definitely in mind that thei,
| country has a neighborly responsible
ity to the rest Of the world. Platform,
candidates and integrity of purpose,
predicated upon past performances
are largely before them. They arc try
ing to locate the line of cleavage be-
tween the old parties, and will do so
as their Interior purposes are re-
vealed.
The Withholding from them of def
mite purposes will be more fatal than
FRANK revelation of false political
economic industrial policy. The day
for using platforms and men to get
into office only with them is past.
They believe that, with the excep-
tion Of the one great international
problem, the ills which we suffer are
almost exclusively economic and in
dustral, rather than POLITICAL They
know that through the exercise Of tho
powers of governments the world is
nearly swamped with debts. its most
obvious expression being found in the
high cost of living, and they fervently
hope for an international covenant
that will take away from governments
The direct power to preciptate another
such cataclysm.
They think that civilization, as at
present constituted, i. G., liberty under
law, with the right to own property as
an essential element of liberty, can
not survive unless international COM
petitive military establishments arc
reduced to a minimum and the great
est item in the worlds budget of over
head expense is largely eliminated,
combined with the returning to useful
work of the vast armies of men now
affiliated with these establishments.
They have not always agreed with
Messrs. Root and Taft, but have al
ways respected the ability of these two
men, and when they find Mr.. Root or
ganizing world court for and within
the League of Nations, and when they
find Mr.. Taft writing in "The Philadel-
phia Public Ledger" as follows, they
are unwilling to follow blindly the Re-
publican party without further light:
"Had | been in the Senate I would
have voted for the league and the
treaty as submitted and I advocated
It's ratification accordingly. ! did not
think, and do not now think, that any
thing in the league covenant, as sent
to the Senate, would violate the Con-
stitution of the United States, or would
involve us in wars which it would not
be to the highest interest of the world
and this country to suppress by uni
versal boycott and, if need be, by mil
itary force. -. Moreover | be-
lievc that the issue of the league
transcends in its Importance any do
mestic issues, and would justify and
require one who believes so to ignore
party ties and secure this great boon
for the world and this country"
Let US know what the Republican
program is. Does it include league
of nations? If SO, in what respect is
the new instrument to differ from the
present covenant, giving details? What
assurances have we that other nations
will accept the new instrument? What
Is 1t that we require for ourselves that
we are not willing to accord to the
smallest nation in the world? Can we
satisfy the Central and South Ameri
can countries that have already ioined
the league that in the new instrument
we would not secure an unwarranted
advantage over them? Might we not
raise an issue upon the Monroe Doc
trine and have it openly repudiated
not only on this continent but else
where? With US outside the league
does it not constitute a league of the
rest of the world against the United
States commercially and, if need be,
from a military standpoint?
w. C. BROWN.
New York AUG 1920