Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-01-13
ACTION FASTENED
ON PEACE TREATY,
LAWRENCE SAYS

LAWRENCE SAYS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright, 1920, for The Atlanta Journal
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-Its an
i'll wind that blows no good, and
surveying the situation created by
the expressed difference of opinion
between President Wilson and Will
liam Jennings Bryan on making the
treaty campaign issue, there is no
doubt that the effect has been to
hasten rather than retard efforts
toward ratification of the pact.
Several things have combined to
give a stimulus in Washington to the
movement for ratification. One is
the news from abroad telling of the
exchange of ratificatios between the
allies and Germany and the estab-
lishment of the League Of Nations.
Far from being a document that
now can be revised and reframed to
meet the wishes Of American sena-
tors, it now is q choice between
American participation or isolation
and more than tWo-thirds of the
membership of the senators favors
our Joining the partnership that is
to govern The peace of the world.
The fact that the United States is
outside for the time being whilst
other nations are going ahead with
the job of operating the peace treaty
has brought a certain reaction. No
body is wholly pleased with what
has happened, not even the "Battal-
ion of DEATH" as the senators have
1ryI0 70 4ho oh q
rejection Of The league can look
with satisfaction on the uncertainty
that has arisen abroad concerning
the true intent of America in foreign
policy.
working for Compromtse
The situation in the senate re-
solves itself into this:
Democrats are even more active
than before in trying to get a COM
promise. Many Republicans are
working tremendously with them to
reach an agreement on the reserva-
tons. No new found reverence for
the views of William Jennings Bryan
is responsible for the attitude of the
Democrats, but most of them feel he
hit the nail on the head in his Jack
son day speech, and that he sized
up public opinion accurately.
AS for the letter written by Pres
ident Wilson, his friends still insist
that it is not UP to the president to
take the initiative in the compro-
mise process, and that he would stul-
tify himself before foreign govern
ments if, after signing a contract
with them, he openly receded from
his position before the senate acted.
They declare that whenever an Amer
lean program of reservations is
adopted, it will become the duty of
the president to argue in favor of
acceptance of those reservations, and
that he must clearly demonstrate to
foreign governments that he kept his
own pledge in working for the I'M
qualified adoption Of the peace treaty.
All the allies now have ratified
without reservations, and Mr.. Wilson
must go before them with a plea
for changes, because while the pre-
amble of the treaty is going to be
modified to eliminate the necessity of
a formal exchange of notes between
the allies and America on the reser-
vations, the United States govern
ment will be obliged to obtain, never
theless, the acquiesence of the
powers.
Mr.. Wilson will be REQUIRED,
through the secretary Of state, to
plead for reservations or interpreta-
tons adopted by the senate. If
these constitute in effect a rejection
of the treaty, the allies would re-
fuse to exchange notifications with
the United States. The changes
that now are being discussed in the
compromise conversations and de-
signed to make it possible for for
ejgn powers to accep1 Americas
signature without debate. The pres
ident heretofore has said that when
the reservations are adopted by the
senate, he must know whether the
senate has ratified or rejected The
treaty. 1t is possible for him not to
decide that question himself but to
put it squarely before the Europea l
powers.
Wilson to Pass It On
One thing is clear; Mr.. Wilson will
not be a party to the compromise
negotiations, but once a compromise
is effected and the treaty is adopted
by the senate with reservations sat
isfactory to two-thirds of the mem
bership Of the senate, it is an open
secret, in fact an excellent bet, that
Mr.. Wilson will pass the document
on to the European powers. For it
is they who now say whether the
United States has satisfied the con-
ditions upon which membership in
the league is based. If they want
America to join and can afford to
give the United States special in
terpretations of treaty clauses and
in some cases an implied exemption
from obligation, then it is their
business to say.
So far as President Wilson is con-
cerned, the ratification of the peace
treaty by the European powers and
the setting up of the council of the
League of Nations has, in a sense,
diminished his own discretionary
powers over the future action of the
senate and made the task one en-
tirely for the senate of the United
States.
Democrats and Republicans at last
are becoming conscious of their new
responsibility and the progress to-
ward compromise not only is pro-
ducing hopefu1ness on Capitol Hill,
but significantly enough it provokes
no 4ispleasure at the White House