New-York tribune., 1920-06-29


character, composed of the
nations that repudated the existing
league. The devitalzing character of
such an eXpedient requires no COM
ment. Fatuous futility could be car
ried no further. There is no mental
dishonesty more transparent than that
which expresses fealty to a league Of
nations while opposing the only League
of Nations that exists or is ever apt
to exist. Why close our eyes to actual
world conditions? A League of Ma
project it is a fact. We must either
enter it or remain out of it.
Status of the League
"What nations have actually signed
and ratified the treaty?
Brazil, Bolivia, Great Britain, Can
ada, Australia, South Africa, New
Zealand, India, Czecho- Slovakia. Guate-
mala, Liberia, Panama, Peru. Uruguay,
Siam, Greece, Poland, Japan, Italy, |
France and Belgium.
"What neutral states. invited to join |
the league, have actually done SO?
NORWAY, Venezuela, the Neither
lands, Denmark, Colombia, Chile,
Argentina, Paraguay. Persia, Salvador,
Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Even China will become a member
when she ratifes the Austrian treaty.
Germany has signed and is pre-
pairing to take the place which awaits
her in the League of Nations.
"What nations stand outside? Revo-
lutionary Mexico, Bolshevist Russia:
Unspoakable Turkey and-the United
States Of America.
at is not yet too late. Let US stand
with the forces of civilization. The
choice is plain. 1t is between the
Democratic party's support of the
League of Nations, with its program of
peace, disarmament and world fratern-
ity, and the Republican DartY's nlat-
form of reputation, provincialism,
militarism and world chaos.
"There is great pretense of alarm
because the United States has but one
vote in the international assembly,
against the six votes of Great Britain,
Africa and India. This popular argu
ment against the League of Nations is
as insincere as it is superficial. 1t ig
nores the fact that the Executive Coun-
Gil, and not the Assembly. is the govern
inc body of the league and that our
country is one Of the five countries
having permanent membership in the
council. The colonial votes exist only
in the Assembly.
"Nor should we forget that France
has but one vote; Italy has but one
vote; and Japan has but one vote. If
there were any injustice in the ar
rangement, surely these nations would
have sensed it and objected to it. No
affirmative action can be taken in any
essential matter without unanimous
vote of all members of the Council Of
the League. No decision of the league,
if America joined it, could be made
effective or even promulgated without
our consent. Like every other nation,
we have a veto power upon every reso-
! luton or act of the league. We can
be involved in no enterprise except Of
our own choosng; and if we are not
satisfied with the league, we can sever
our connection with it upon two years'
notice. The risk exists only in the
/ imagination; the service is incalcu-
/ liable.
Small Nations Have Vote
"Moreover, the United States insist
ed that Cuba, Hayt, Liberia, Panama
should each be given a vote, as we'll as
the nations Of South America, great
and small. Including the nations
which are bound by vital interests to
the United States, OF, indeed, directly
under our tutelage. we have more votes
in the League of Nations than any
other nation How could we, in good
faith, urge that these nations be given
voice and deny n voice to such self
governing nations as Canada, New
Zealand and the rest, which, relatively
speaking, made far more sacrllces II
the war than our own country? 1t is
have an opportunity to be heard in the
league; and the safety of each nation
resides in the fact that no action car
be taken without the consent of all.
1T was the design OF Senator Lodge
from the outset, to mutllate the treaty
and to frustrate the purposes of th'
Admi istraton. And yet Senate,
Lodge, with the help of the irrecon
cilables. having torn the treaty to tat
ters and thrown It's fragments IN thu
| face of the world, has the etfrontery II
, suggest. in his address at Chicago, tina
; the President blocked ratification an'
postponed peace.
l The trouble with the treaty c
, peace is that it was negotiated by
= Democratic President. 1t is not diff
I cult to assess the responsibility for it
f defeat. The responsibility rests, no
r upon its friends, but upon its enemies
0 "The Foreign Relations Committee
: Immediately following the last election
: was reOrganlZed with perSOnnel con
8 sisting of the open foes of the treat!
e Among the number was Senator Boraf
f who declared that he would not be fo
@ League of Nations were the Savio
v of mankind to advocate it. Senate
= johnson, Senator Knox and Senate
q Moses, whose hatred of the Presider
Q amounts to an obsession. were ais
o. members; and Senator Lodge was chan
I man.
= The treaty was referred to the con
" mittee, thus studiously prepared fc
= its hostile reception. The members
10 this committee adopted every subtle
y fuge to misreDresent the documel
q which they were supposed to be COZ
~, sidcring as statesmen. Deputations
" foreign born citizens were brought
!. Washington in an effort to color ar
"a exaggerate the impression Of popul;
~ opposition.
% The Senate had even begun the di
cusSion of the treaty months before !
~ negotiation was concluded. and did II
20 terminate its debate until nine montl
le after the submission of the treaty.
II took the Senate nearly three times
le long to kill the treaty by protracted
o. bate and by confusing and nullifyil
ol amendments and reservations as
took the representatives. OF the Alli
n governments to draft it.
ne Wilson's Stand on Treaty
ne at was not the business of the Pre-.
SIS dent, when he brought this treaty ba
ne from France iOln with My TO6