Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-05

| the Lodge reservations was the cable
gram Lloyd George sent Grey and which
Grey showed to Republican senator's. to
the effect that England stood ready Ia
accept tho Lodge reservations.
Republican Hands Strengthened
This strengthened the hands of the
Republicans in the Senate and is proba -
bly, responsible FOR the bringing into
line Of the mild rrServationistS and for
the stiff refusal of the kepublcans Ia
Yield an inch upon the much disputed
Article y. But it did not diSlodgc vii
son from his determined position of
opposition to the Article X rcsorva
tion.
To do that it was evidently felt that
publicity was necessary. The IInvI
George telegram could not be made pub :
ilc. Direct personal intervention nuh-
lirly made in our politics by the head
of foreign government was not to bc
thought of. SO Grey went bacI, 70
England and sent his letter to rhc
Times.
It is an extraordinary episode in
diplomacy. Like many other things tbat
have happened to President Wilson
such. as, for example. the fight the Sen.
ate has made upon him. it would nor
nave happened, except that President
wilson Is near the end of his second
term. ''''"'
Premier Braves Wilson'S Wrath
Europe evidently believes that the
Republicans will control the next nd :
ihIniStration and Lloyd George. nlaying
for the big stake of Americas promnf
entrance into the League of Nations has
DraEed the wrath of Wilson and his
party for the remaining wear of Tho
Democratic administration.
The method of rcbuking Lloyd George
chosen By the administration is familiar
IN thcSc days of open diplomacy. The
press Is Informed that the White House
was not consulted. Downing street.
Wnlch knows well enough what it means
Wheh the press Is called in and told that
government has not been consulted
VIII read clearly enough in the White
IiouSe announcement the displeasure of
President Wilson.
- no other steps for informing Great
britain of the Presidents displeasure
are likely to be taken. If Lord Grey
were here now he would probably be
sent back, as his predecessor. Lord
SackYlllc West. once was. The denial
made by Secretary Lansing thar any
informal sign of dspleasure has been
made by the government merely springs
from the lack of information in the
state Department of what the President
does automatically. The President is
consulting or informing Mr.. Lansing
these days.
Interferes With Compromise
The effect of the Grey letter on the
treaty is now hard to guess. The ques
tion is whether England has not over o.
played its hand in trying to make Will
son s position untenable and to bring
about our prompt entrance into the
league. So far as the Lloyd George
telegram is concerned, it probably stiff
fencd the attitude of the Republicans,
helped Mr.. Lodge to hold them to .
gether, and interfered with Mr.. Hitch
cock s efforts at compromise
In L similar way England has dis -
closed too much cagerness to have us
enter the League of Nations. Evidently
Wilson believes that politically the
British support Of the Lodge reserva-
tions will not help their prospects. That
is one object he evidently has in letting
England know Of his displeasure. Po-
litically his position is untenable unless
he can make the public resent British
interference in our affairs on the side of
Lodge
1t is useless TO try to predict what
the Presidents attitude on the treaty
from now on will be. All that is clear is
that the fate of the treaty depends upon
an angry man.