New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-03

greetings to the President of the
United States, Woodrow Wilson, and
halls with patriotic pride the great
achievements for country and the
world wrought by Democratic Ad-
ministration under his leadership.
1t salutes the mighty people of this
great republic, emerging with imper-
ishable honor from the severe tests and
grievous strains of the most tragic
war in history, having earned the
ptaudits and the gratitude of all free
nations.
ut declares its adherence to the fun
damental progressive principles of So
cial, economic and industrial justice
and advance, and purposes to resume
the great work of translating these
principles into effective laws, begun
and carried far by the Democratic Ad-
ministration and interrupted only
when the war claimed all the national
energies for the single task of victory.
League of Nations
The Democratic party favors the
League of Nations as the surest, if not
the only, practicable means of main
tanning the permanent peace of the
world and terminating the insuferabe
burdens of great military and naval es-
Establishments. 1t was for this that
America broke away from traditional
isolation and spent her blood and
treasure to crush a colossal scheme Of
conquest.
1t was upon this basis that the Presi-
dent of the United States, in pre-ar-
rangement with our allies, consented
to a suspension of hostilitics against
the imperial German government. The
armistice was granted and treaty of
peace negotiated upon the definite as
surance to Germany as we'll as to the
powers pitted against Germany, that
"a general association of nations must
be formed, under specific covenants,
for the purpose of atfording mutual
guarantees of political independence
and territorial integrity to great and
small states alike"
Hence, we not only congratulate the
President on the vision manifested
and the vigor exhibited in the prose
cution OF the war, but we felicitate
him and his associates on the eXcep-
tional achievements at Paris involved
N the adoption of league and treaty
so near akin to previously expressed
american ideals and so intimately re-
lated to the aspirations of civilized
peoples everywhere.
We commend the President for his
courage and his high conception Of good
faith in steadfastly standing for the
covenant agreed to by all the associated
and allied nations at war with Germany,
and we condemn the Republican Senate
Tor its refusal to ratify the treaty
merely because it was the product Of
Democratic craftsmanship, thus inter
POSING partisan envy and personal
hatred in the way of. the peace and
renewed prosperity of the world.
By every accepted standard Of inter
national morality the President is justi-
lied in asserting that the honor of the
we point to the accusing fact that before
it was determined to initiate political
antagonism to the treaty the now Re
publican chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee himself publicly
proclaimed that any proposition for a
separate peace with Germany, such as
he and his party associates thereafter
reported to the Senate, would make us
guilty of the blacklist crime"
On May Is last the Knox substitute
for the Versailles Treaty was passed by
the Republican Senate, and this convcn-
tion can contrive no more fitting
obloquy than that made in The Forum
Magazine" of December, 1918, by Henry
Cabot Lodge, when he said
eff we send our armies and young
men abroad to be killed and wounded in
northern France and Flanders with no
result but this, our entrance into war
with such an intention was q crime
which nothing can justify.
: 4
Of the President was that there could
be no peace until we could create sit
uation where no such war as this could
recur. We cannot make peace except in
company with our allies. 1t would
brand us with everlasting dishonor and
bring ruin to US also If we undertook
to make a separate peace"
Thus to that which Mr.. Lodge in saner
moments considered "the blacklist crime"
he and his party in madness sought to
give the sanctity of law that which
dishonor" the Republican party and its
candidates to-day accept as the essence
Of faith.
We indorse the Presidents view of
our international obligations and his
firm stand against reservations designed
to cut to pieces the vital provisions of
the Versailles Treaty, and we commend
the Democrats in Congress for voting
against resolutions for separate peace
which would disgrace the nation.
We advocate the immediate ratifica-
ton of the treaty, without reservations
which would impair it's essential in
tegrity; but do not oppose the accept
ance of any reservations making clearer
or more specific the obligations of the
United States to the League of Asso-
GATES.
Only by doing this may we retrieve
the reputation Of this nation among
the powers of the earth and recover
the moral leadership which President
Wilson wan and which Republican
politicians at Washington sacrificed.
Only by doing this may we hope to
aid effectively IL the restoration of
order throughout the world and to
take the place which we should as
sumo in the front rank of spiritual,
commercial and industrial advance
ment.
We reject as utterly vain, if not
vicious, the Republican assumption
membership in the League of Nations
would in any way impair the integrity
or independence of our country. The
fact that the covenant has been en-
tered into by twenty-nine nations, all
as jealous of their independence as
we are of ours, is sufficient refuta-
ton of such a charge.
The President repeatedly has de-
clared and this convention reaffirms,
that all our duties and OhlipatjOns a.