The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-07-28

eliminate the entire treaty of Versailles
including the covenant from considers
ton. He declared that of course the
original structure would be used as a
basis for remodelng and revision. He
was inclined to believe the nations of
Europe would be as glad to be rid of
Article 10 as would the United States
under Republican administration, but
fundamentally Mr.. Harding means to APP
proach the other nations of the world
and negotiate an understanding that pre-
serves the independence and sovereignty
of the United States and at the same
time asks for no privilege that America,
on her part, is not willing to grant to
other nations
This may lead possibly to negetia-
lions between the United States and the
lies and Germany with the delayed
raj fcation of the treaty of Versailles
offering the opportunity for revision OF
the document itself for which SO many
factions among the signatory nations
have been clamoring
CT co~rse. Mr. Harding does not intend
to tie himself up to a definite program,
either row or if he is elected. The
world situation is changing so rapidly
j
srpqrflGoua TO chart a course new that
NAV be entirely altered by the time a
| new president Of the United States is in
auguratcd.
| For the present Senator Harding is
concerned with the division in the ranks
of Republieaaism which grew out of the
Tight i'm the senate between the bitter
enders" like Senators Johnson and Borah
and the "mild rcsaryationists" and the
| Lodge reservationists Senator Harding
tried in his speech Of acceptance to avoid
the details of a program, rather being
content to state a broad policy of pre-
served nationality on the one hand with
assured keeping of the American con
science for ourselves which. he believes,
| inspired all the opposition in the senate,
and, on the other hand. "to assure the
world of American readiness to do our
part in promoting international peace
| through iIistice rather than force"
/ Really there might be as much embar-
/ rassment to Senator Harding in coming
out fatty for the Lodge reservations as
1 there would be in saying at this time that
h no part of the treaty of Versailles could
4 be utilized to carry out the platform
1 pledges of the Republican party which
Fl favor .ap league of nations of certain
B principles. The time may come when
with certain safeguards and amendments
accepted by Europe that ''the" league of
nations may satisfy all the requirements
set forth in the platform proposal OF "a"
league of nations.
Senator Harding would find it neces-
sarv, If elected. to deal cencretely with
the treaty of Versailles as all but four
nations-Russia, Turkey, Mexico and the
- l.
treaty or members of the present league
of nations. To say now that he viii
stand on the Lodge reservations would
be to commit himself to a program of
restrictions upon the power of a presi-
dent to conduct foreign policy which
might prove awkward for even a Repub-
lican president The original set of
Lodge reservations voted on in Noyem-
Der, 1919, were much less difficult than
those adopted in the following spring.
In the effort to circumscribe the power
of Woodrow Wilson, some of the senators
forgot for the moment that Republican
president might some day be charged
with the responsibility of foreign policy
and would find himself powerless espe-
cially if congress We're not in session.
Now at heart Senator Harding would
be found demanding changes in the league
covenant very similar to those which he
voted for in the senate, and he feels very
strongly that Article 10 in its present
form can be eliminated without breaking
the heart of Europe. Moreover, he
doesn't anticipate serious objection to
the equalization of voting power in the
assembly of the league.
However, details are not being
preached at this time The important
thing is that intimately the treaty of
Versailles would be the basis for the ne
gotiations of the new understanding and
relationship with Europe to which Mr.
Harding referred in his speech of ac-
eeptance. 1t viii be noted also that Gov
ernor Coolidge, the Republican candidate
for vice president, shows the way toward
the ratification of the present treaty with
proper reservations. This speech must
have been made with the knowledge and
approval of the Republican candidate for
the presidency.
Senator Johnson's destructive criticism
1 has been needed, but Senator Harding
plainly intends to offer constructive
substitute and fulfill the pledge to civ
ilization which America made during the
war--to participate in a serious effort
| to form concert of nations to maintain
1.-The peace of the world