The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-03-19
GETTING ON THE coUNTRYS
NERVES.

4 Senator Simmons, Of North Caro-
. lima, tried TO break the deadlock 4
E the senate on Monday by proposin
Q a substitute for the Lodge reserva
D ton. Under 1t we still proposed {
, respect and preserve the territorial
! integrity OF countries In the league
but only by Cancellation. economic o
other peaceful means. We would no
intervene until congress gave permits
sion. That was the sense of 1t. Re
publican senators asked the Nortl
Carolina democrat how many vote
he could deliver for his proposition
and he claimed forty one He sd
nitted that under II we would II
large part give up our assumption
OF moral obligation, which has beer
the subject Of so much sentiment
Those who were willing to supper
the reservation evidently were Will.
ing to go part of the way along the
line. They wished to retain, however
a vague, fimsy partial obligation
which would be observed at best
only in a very pacific manner. The
republicans at once showed up the
inconsistency OF this proposition. The
whole incident indicated how slight
end immaterial were the differences
which yet were delaying peace and
forcing us possibly to q separate
treaty with Germany One senator
said 1t reminded him of the theo-
logical disputes in the Middle Ages
on the question Of how many angels
could dance on the point OF a needle
Our readers noted yesterday from
our Geographic colloquy with Sena-
tor Mcclellan that he earnestly and
no doubt with the utmost sincerity
believe that there Ia wide and
vital difference between the two
sides on Article X. He contends that
one party would entirely destroy the
moral obligation under that article.
The other party, he says, Is fighting to
protect it, and the spirit of the treaty.
This might have been the issue If the
democrats by the reservations they
themselves proposed had not ap-
preached 80 nearly to the republican
position. The only difference dis
cernible now is that the republicans
and about fifteen democrats would
assume no obligation to preserve
the territorial integrity. etc, - -- -
unless" congress so decides, while the
remaining democrats would assume
no obligation to employ military and
naval forces, etc, ---- unless CON
gress so declares. This is mere
difference in words. No obligation
to preserve integrity without the OBJ
legation to declare war Is of any ac-
count and the diverse follows. Con-
gress will not declare war unless It
thinks there is a clear moral obiga-
ton. The two things. though some
what different in language, mean the
same thing.
1t is to be regretted that Senator
Mcclellan, who has made fine rec
ord for constructive craftsmanship
in seeking to have the treaty rati-
fed, should at this hour. when so
much depends on immediate decision,
get lost in what seems to be log !
omachical labyrinth.
The fact Is that even Senator Sim
mons substitute, which helds out for
a mythical obligation to intervene
peacefully, got only twenty seven in
stead OF the forty-one democratic
votes he claimed.
Mr.. Taft urges ratification. so
does Mr.. Bryan. SO does Mr.. Hoover.
The country Is weary OF the delay.
The senate Is arousing sentiment
against the retention OF Its veto
power on treaties.
How may an issue ne made before
the people on differences so lily de-
fined as those which seem to BIO pre-
scented? We doubt It.
Both parties will claim they sup
ported the treaty. Only the president
himself could possibly make such an
issue or secure a olear-cut mandate.
The treatment he has received. |
taken as a whole from the time OF |
the armistice, has been outrageous. |
and summed together he could make |
an appeal to the people, but his cam
dldacy is manifestly impossible. The |
Individual democratic senators with |
their checkered records on so many |
different propositions could not pos
sIbly present question which would |
induce a clearly marked line OF
cleavage.
The net result would be q years
delay and by that time the league
would be OF no value.
Nearly half the democrats are now
a compromise. But by
few votes the treaty may be de-
feated,