Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-08

have already given over forty million
dollars for the relief Of those starv,
ing and suffering people. brave ana
gallant people who deserve assist
ance and who have established q
government. We are anxious to help
armenia in all reasonable ways ana
no doubt shalt do SO. but to take
mandate to co...rol. protect and gov
sending our sons and brothers to
serve and sacrifice their lives in Ar
menia for an indefinite time. This
Is mandate which we in the Senate
of the United States think should not
be undertaken. 1t is a plan to get
us involved in The responsibilities Of
the league of nations and all the
| wars in which it may be engaged.
without our being a member of the
league. To such proposition the
| the other hand. what the President
has neglected. like condition among
an unfortunate people at our very
doors-we must take up and by a
wise and firm policy restore Mexico
to the position which she ought to
her people and SO benefit the world
and extend the reign of peace.
Pushed Mexico Into Background.
AS the great war in Europe pushed
Mexico into the background and
turned the thoughts of all away from
1t. SO there is at this moment an
other great question of our relations
to the civilized world which over
armistice with Germany was signed
the course to be pursued was clear.
1t was urged by republican senators
before thea rmistice and immediate
ly afterward. That course was to
make the peace with Germany at
once and then take up for reasonable
consideration the question Of estab-
fishing such future relations with
our associates in the war as would
make for the future peace Of the
world If this had been done we
many three months after the armi-
stice. This Mr.. Wilson prevented He
went to Europe with the greatest
opportunity for large service to the
world ever offered to any one man.
He insisted on going himself. for he
the confidence. the gratitude and the
friendship of every European ma
ton. which, thanks to the President.
we possess no longer. If Mr.. Wilson
had said: We came here to help
you win this war in defense of civ
ilization., The war is won. All we
now insist upon is that Germany
shall be put in such a position as
not to be able again to threaten
the peace and freedom of mankind.
hemisphere we will care for our
selves. We have interests in the
far east which we shall wish to have
protected, but your own European
questions you must settle, and we
will accept the settlement to which
territory or to dictate what you
shall do in regard to either territory
or boundaries" Then. indeed, we
should have been entitled to the
gratitude of the world not only for
our decisive services in the war. but
for generous assistance in making a
lasting peace. But Mr. Wilson did
not do this. He had apparently only
one aim-to be the maker of league
Of which he should be the head. He
league of nations then and there,
and, in order to nullify the powers
OF the Senate given by the Constitu-
ton of the United States. he decided
to make the league an integral part
of the treaty of peace with Germany
intended to present, dilemma from
which he believed there was no es-
cape.
Meant to Compel Senate.
In order to have peace with Ger
many he meant to compel the Senate
to accept with it the league Of ma
tions. 1t was, indeed. difficult sit
udtlOn WHICH, ne tnuS created. But
republican senators believed their
duty to be clear before them and did
not shrink from fulfilling it. Thirty
nine of them in March. 1919. signed
8 statement setting forth that the
first draft Of the league as Mr.. VIII
son brought 1t back. announcing that
it must be taken just as it stood,
could not be accepted by the Senate
in that form. The President returned
to Europe with this warning before
him and before the world. He adj
mitted a few slight changes in the
portant and some of which made the
second draft worse than the first. He
forced the allied and associated pow
ers to yield to his demand that the
covenant of the league should be in
terwoven with the treaty Of peace.
To accomplish this he surrendered the
principle Of the freedom Of the seas
whatever they may have been-to
Great Britain, and he made promises
and concessions to France-not yet
fulfilled-which brought him the
French support. Having. thus car
treaty with Germany home and laid
it before the Senate. To the great
mass of the American people he said:
This covenant of the league of ma
tions will bring to the world a last
ing peace" Every one desired last
consider or even to read the covenant.
thousands upon thousands of good
people united in the demand that the
Senate ratify and take the league at
once and without consideration, just
as it stood. The republicans of the
Senate, perceiving the dangers of the
league, determined to resist Mr.. Will
sons demand, even at the cost of de-
laying the treaty of peace with Ger
many. They felt that the one thing
necessary was to have the people un-
derstand the treaty that they might
threatened. So the long debate be-
gan. and it has lasted for more than
a year.
At the outset that portion Of the
people who wished an instantaneous
and unqualified acceptance OF a cove
read had possession in large measure
of the press and other methods of
obtaining publicity and thus were
able to keep up a continual cry for
immediate ratification. The vocal
part of the community felt almost
universally, as they listened to each
others voices, that the whole country
was with them, but they forgot the
great inarticulate masses OF the peo-
pie who went silently about their
work and their business, who did not
write letters to the newspapers OF
publish circulars or spend millions in
spreading their views through power
full organs and active associations, but
who simply loved their country and
thought first of the interests OF
America. The debate In the Senate
spread to them They read the
speeches, they listened to the argu-
ments, and, what was far more i'm
portant. they began to read and dis
cuss the covenant of the league
| themselves. in the street, by the nre-
together. They began to understand
| the league They began to know