El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-01-27
LODGE BETWEEN FIRES
IN PEACE TREATY CRISIS
that may mean the death OF the
Continued from page l.

peace treaty
He IS. on the other hand. threatened
by revolt and a third party If he
doesn't side with the irreconcilables
Il is perfectly possible that the in
fluence Of the Hearst newspapers will
be thrown 20 the side Of senator
johnson If he makes an Independent
race for the presidency and that some
OF the elements in our population
who have been fighting the peace
treaty and who have been counted
upon TO support the Republican party
may be aienated from the Repub-
lican party.
Regardless OF how distastefuI
the presidential act may be, "a il
there staring leaders on both
sides in the face.
For the present. president Wilson
is in the back ground To many
friends Of the peace treaty he has
seemed another kind OF -irreconcil-
able" but his party has gone ahead
without his sanction and entered into
negotiations for a compromise, not
accept what they negotiate, but that
public opinion will compel him to
do So
Must side with Treaty.
So senator Lodge must choose be-
tween two groups. To many per
sons. who have followed the treaty
fight closely from the beginning, the
choice he must naturally make is on
the side OF the treaty he debated
with former president Lowell. OF Har-
ward. and argued that he was for
league OF nations, but with reserva-
tons
Those reservations were finally
proposed iu the senate and they failed
because they were unsatisfactory
These reservations were not sup
ported by the Republican irreeoneil-
ables-
They said they would vote
Hr|sIH ' he ~ Vii n
cut reserVatlous-they would
fight TO the bitter end against
the whole thing. senator Lodge
could therefore afford 10 lose the
support Of these 10 or Il Repub-
Leans and get enough OF his own
party and the Democrats 10 put
through the senate the comprO-
mise which now Is being negO-
tiated.
The question OF whether the presi-
dent would accept would come up
separately and subsequently, and II
Mr. wilson refused the country
where TO place the responsibility and
unquestionably the president would
make clear his reasons in any case.
Is Confidential Matter.
But whether or not this has been
necessary the fact is the compromise
which is being negotiated at present
has been kept a confidential matter
The public doesn't know what has
been conceded or added by either
side From the fact that the ir-
reconcilable Republicans have threat
ened 10 bolt the party. it is known
that senator Lodge has made some
concessions, but whether they are
objected 10 because they are sub
stantial in character or because they
simply make compromise with the
Democrats easier and therefore be-
come equally Objectionable 10 those
who really want 70 keep the treaty
Hn-ran HI 4
until the details are revealed
Fateful Moment Here
The taEeful moment. however, for
leadership on the Republican side TO
Lodge rise TO The occasion and say
that the Republican party does not
object TO league OF nations. prop
erly safeguarded by reservations-
which has been the position Of prom
inent Republicans from the begin
ning2
or will senator Borah and senator
Johnson prevail and thus actually be-
come true leaders of the Republican
party in the senator one inclines to
the view that senator Lodge win win
out and viii stand by his guns sim
ply because talk OF revolt has been
heard before and has amounted 70
nothing. and while senators Borah
and Johnson might secede. IL is doubt
ful whether tried old party men likei
senator Brandegee. Mccormick. Fall, [
Knox and others In the irrecouclable (
group would care TO produce a split
that might hand the next presiden-
tial contest 70 the Democrats on a
platter, very much as the progressive I
revolt did in 1912.
Compromise has been DELAYED II
weeks, but the hour is at hand when I
the country viii know finally II the
treaty is 10 be got out of the way. or I
forced into the campaign bv both !
sides as a cloak TO domestic questions /
OF graTer consequence. which both I
sides are unwilling this presidential I
year TO tackle.-Copyrigh 1920. The /
FL Paso Herald.