Evening star., 1920-06-28

made far more sacrifices in the war
| than our own country? 1t is desira-
| Bile thatoall countries should have an
| opportunity to be heard in the league.
| and the safety of each nation resides
in the fact that no action can be
taken without the consent of all.
Responsibility Set
| For Defeat Of Treaty.
| 1t was the design of Senator Lodge
| from the outset to mutilate the
treaty and to frustrate the purposes
of the administration. And yet Sena-
tor Lodge. with the help of the ir-
| reconcilables. having torn the treaty
| to tatters and thrown it's fragments
in the face of the word has the
at Chicago. that the President blocked
| ratification and postponed peace
! The trouble with the treaty OF
peace is that it was negotiated by
democratic Presidet. 1t is not diff
cult to assess the responsibility for
it's defeat. The responsibility rests.
| not upon its friends. but upon It's
I enemies.
The foreign relations committee.
Immediately following the last elec-
ton. was reorganized with a per per
sounel consisting of the open foes
of the treaty. Among the number
was Senator Borah, who dclared that
| he would not be for a league OF
| nations were the Savior of mankind
to advocate it. Senator Johnson. SEN
ator Knox and Senator Moses, whose
! hatred of the President amounts to
an obsession. were also members, and
| Senator Lodge was chairman.
| The treaty was referred to the
committee thus studiously prepared
| for it's hostile reception. The mem
| bers Of this committee adopted every
subterfuge to misrepresent the docu-
ment which they were supposed 10
| be considering as statesmen. Depu-
tations of foreign-born citizens We're
to color and exaggerate the impress
sion of popular opposition
The Senate had even begun the dls-
cussion of the treaty months oe1ore
its negotiation was concluded, ana
did not terminate it's debate until nine
months after the submission Of the
treaty. 1t took the Senate nearly
three times a s long to Kill the treaty
by protracted debate and by con-
fusing and nullifying amendments
and reservations as it took the repre-
sentatives of the allied governments
to draft it.
It was not the business of the
President. when he brought this
treaty back from France, to JOIN
with Mr.. Lodge and other republican
destroy it. Had he initiated, sug-
gested or assented to changes which
would have substantially altered It's
nature. it would have been a DIS
tinct breach of faith with his asso-
ciats of the peace council council ana Trssv T,oe no
acquainted with diplomatic usages
! or with the plain requirements O.
honesty. understands this. The 1901
;sh invention that the President re-
| fused to permit the dotting OF an
.i' or the crossing Of ''t" has beer
so often repeated that many honest
I people believe in its truth.
President Gave
willing Promises.
In every speech made during his
tour. the President stated entire VIII
ineness to accept any and all reser-
vations not incompatible with Amer :
ica's honor and true interests. IL is
the plain intent OF the covenant ina
the Monroe Doctrine is excluded. tnat
domestic questions are exempted. ina
not one American can be sent out OF
the country without formal action oy
Congress and that the right of with
draWal is absolute. If there are
| words which can make these mean
ings clearer. they will be welcomed
It is not reservations that the fresl-
dent stands against. but nullihcat1on'
1 when the President came back
| from Paris in February. 1919. ne
brought the first tentative draft OF
the covenant of the League OF Ma =
! tions. He gave publicity to It. IL
was published throughout the land
He invited the friends of such a
league to submit criticisms FORMER
President Taft offered four amend
ments: former Senator Root offered
civ amendments; and Mr.. Hughes sug-
Cested seven. At a meeting OF the
Committee on Foreign Relations al
the White House in March, 1919, other
| changes were suggested. fnese
amendments were taken back by the
| President to Paris and their SUP
stance was actually incorporated IN
the revised draft of the league. Dr
| IowelI. president of Harvard Univer-
sity. in his Joint debate with Senator
IJndre. invited the latter to susges'
| constructive amendments which the
President might incorporate in the
daft: but he refused so to do Al
no time has he offered constructive
amendments. At no time has ne ialieo
to offer destructive e~criticism. so IN
tolerant was his attitude that ne
ron,d not even consider compro-
misc proposed by former President
Taft of his own party and which was
| : assured of the support OF forty Demo
cratic senators. Senator Loose hnew
that he controlled the Senate ana ina,
in his own time and way ne couio
destroy the treaty
| This is the sordid story OF its oe-
f..t No blacker crime against CIV
,ization has ever soiled the pages "