Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-24
HOPE FOR LEAGUE
IN REPUBLICAN
PARTY, SAYS TAFT
By WILLIAM HOWARD SAT-

|
What is the League of Nations is
| sue which Mr.. Wilson desires to SUBJ
NIT, by the referendum of next cleo
| ton, to the American people.
Mr.. Wilson was given the oppor-
tunity in November and again a few
months later, to head the United
| which now is functioning. The United
States would have been released from
| the obligation of Article X of the
league and would have saved for Its
own Interpretation and enforcement
it's Monroe doctrine. These swere the
other nations informally acquiesced in
them Nevertheless Mr.. Wilson in
sisted on having no league at all
rather than to release the United
| States in these two respects.
If the Democratic party in conven-
it shall, that he was right and so is
to pledge his successor to this
course in the future, then in case of
Democratic victory we shall never
ratify this treaty and never enter
this league. This should be apparent
to the friends of the present league
of Nations.
Whatever the vote in the election.
the constitution will still remain, and
by that instrument two-thirds of the
senate are required to ratify the
treaty and the league.
There are now forty-nine Republi-
can senators. Of these, terms. of t1f-
teen expire in the coming election:
If the impossible were to happen, and
every one of those Republicans were
succeeded by a Democrat pledged to
vote for the Wilson league, there
still would be thirty-five Republican
senator's, of whom but one. Mr.. Nc
there are two Democratic senators at
least, and there are probably. more,
who would side with the Republicans
in refusing to ratify.
In other words, this means an in
evitable vote against the league
without reservations of more than
one-third of the senate, and it's GER
publican senators whose places are
to be filled, come from states most
of which are sure to return Repub-
licans. A vote for the Democratic
nominee on Mr.. Wilson's platform,
therefore, means a vote against the
league as certainly as if Hiram john
son had been nominated and elected
on the platform which he demanded
and did not get at Chicago.
Wilson Consistent
Mr.. Wilson is consistent His at
titude is exactly what it was dur
ing the treaty discussion and con-
troversy. His is the rule or ruin
policy. II must have all I ask or I
will take nothing. I must have the
league exactly as l made it or 1 will
destroy the prospect of the United
States entering any league at ALI" He
is, therefore. so far as practical
eerned a er}tlS the ss same IS seat fo as
Mr.. Borah, Mr.. Johnson and the
other bitter enders."
Mr.. Wilson ignores plaitn facts
which take away from his striking
continues to treat the independent
Judgment and determination of Re-
publican senators as to the necessity
for qualifying the obligations Of the
United States under the league as
of negligible Importance. The two
framed in order to give a veto power
to more than a third Of the senate
who believe Fundamental principles
to be violated in a proposed treaty
and who against majority in a gen.
eral election, need not feel under OBJ
legation to give up their objections.
This is subject upon which the Re-
publican senators have made up their
minds. Nothing will move them
from the positions to which they
have adhered since the beginning. A
Democratic victory, therefore. means
But how would it be if Mr.. Hard
ing is elected? Mr. Harding voted
for the league with the fourteen res
ervations in November, 1919. and
again later. In the. second vote,
seven more Democratic votes would
have made sixty-four needed to ratr-
fy this league with reservations. II
Mr.. Wilson had not himself interven-
ed to prevent it all but three Or four
Democratic would have voted for the
league with the then reservations.
Forty of the Democrats out of forty
seven, agreed to reservations on the
two crucial articles to wit: The Mon
roe Doctrine reservations and Article
X, which cannot be substantially dis
tinguished from the reservation
Republicans and majority of the
Democrats wished.
The Democrats wished to say the
same thing only twice, where the Re-
publicans had said it three times. In
respect to Article x both the Demo-
tentative took away the binding OBJ
legation of the United States under
the article, and left acton under it
wholly to the discretion of con-
gress when the case should arise
Just as did the Republican reserva-
ton, though in somewhat different
phraseology.
Republicans to Adopt League
When the issue comes again, the
senators on both sides will still re-
tain their convictions and vote ac-
cordingly, and if they do, with the
dictation of Mr.. Wilson removed and
after a Republican victory there is
not the slightest doubt that the
league with substantially the Lodge
reservations will be ratified. A Re-
publican president who voted for it
before then will lead the nation into
the league with the reservations and
will be welcomed by the other league
members.
This is what the Republican plat
form means. But even if that plat
form is not Affirmative, as its Demo-
cratic critics claim it is not, surely
no one can contend that it prevents
senator's who voted for the league
with I reservations from doing so
again.
For these reasons, the nub of the
referendum to which Mr.. Wilson in
vites the people of the United States
really is, whether, by voting for the
Democratic candidate, we shall sup
port an impossible ideal and have
no league at all, or whether, by vot-
ing for the Republicans candidate,
we shall actually enter the league
and holm the world