New-York tribune., 1920-02-21
time to keep ths treaty here, for it 10
apparent that there can be no agree
Impossible to Avoid Issue

/ ment.
| Impossible to Avoid Issue
! "Gentlemen will finally recognize
that it is impossible to keep this issue
out Of the campaign. The New York
| Republicans met yesterday and took
action which is certain to have influ-
ance because of the Importance Of that
state and Its leadership in the nation.
As result of that action the New York
Republicans have made it the dominat-
ing issue OF the 1920 campaign. Chair
the reservations and said it would be
| accomplished if the President per-
mitted. II 1t were not done, he said,
the Republicans should stand for the
treaty with reservations. After March
d, 1921, Republican President should
ask for reform Of the league that
would place the maintenance Of world
peace on the basis of law rather than
of power.
"1f the first duty of the new Repub-
l'can President shall be to have a new
peace conference revise the treaty, then
certainly it is in the midst of the cam
paign. Every foreign element in the
country will be active, seeking how
best to promote the interests of native
lands across the sea. Here in the Sen
ate this debate opened a year ago to-
morrow, and we are no nearer agree
Tent now than we we're then. To-day
we are only two or three months from
the nomination of candidates, and it is
impossible to stop this issue. By con-
tinulng the debate we are merely clog
ging legislation that ought to pass.
Presidents Position Fixed
"ln view of his statements the Presi.
dent cannot possibly accept the Lodge
reservations, which he has said would
cut the heart out of the treaty and
break the heart of the world.
Il opihe there has been considerable
bluffing by Senators on both sides about
not wanting this question in the CAM
paign. Senator Hitchcock bravely tells
us he is not afraid of it. 1t certainly
is new political attitude, to be anx-
ious to avoid an issue on which one
feels sure of winning. And let me say
that if you go in on this issue you will
come out of its stripped of the reserva-
tons. | have talked to forty-two great
mass meetings. since this debate started,
and say to you that the people go to
sleep when you talk to them about res
ervations. They are not concerned
about the difference between the mean
ing of the words unless and until
mo candidate for President who has
declared himself on this issue has thus
far made any statement except that he
is opposed to league which will
change our traditional foreign policy.
"Why do the candidates invariably
oppose any departure from the doc
trines of Washington and Monroe? Be
cause they have felt the ground-swell
from the country. Yet how will you
ever write league without changing
and sacrificing the traditions of our
foreign policy? | say to YOU that be-
lore campaign is thirty days old
the league Will have evaporated out of
it like the mists before the sun. I
wrote to Governor Cox of Ohio, some
thirty days ago, asking him where he
stood on this question and he has been
rejecting ever since; | am still wait
ing for reply from him. The Demo-
Gratis will not nominate any candidate
who stands for this league without
changes"
Election Held Only Arbiter
mo, because it would be useless"
interjected Senator Ashurst, Democrat,
OF Arizona.
Precisely" replied Senator Borah.
And If there is no chance of either
side yielding it is useless for us to
go on with It, Only an election can
settle the issues"
The mild" reservationists, who have
been working for compromise, be-
lieve the action of the New York Re-
publcans will hasten ratification.
THE position taken by the Repub-
licans of New York should help greatly
toward bringing about early ratifica-.
tion," said Senator McNary, one of the
mild" reseryationists. "The fact that
they did not insist upon ratification
with the original Lodge reservations,
but with reservations retaining the
principles of the Lodge reservations,
should cause many more Senators to
support notifications of the Lodge
reservatiors'