The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-29

blocked ratification and postponed peace, | The trouble with the treaty of peace IS that it was negotiated by a democratic l President. It is not difficult to assess ! the responsibility for it's defeat. The re- | isponsibility rests, not upon it's friends, but upon it's enemies.
 The foreign relations committee, fmme- diately following the last election, was 1, ,reorganized with a personnel consisting of the open foes of the treaty. Amongs. the number was Senator Borah, who /! declared that he would not be for a League of Nations, were the Savior of mankind to advocate it. Senator Johnson. iSenator 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 con- mittee thus Studiousy prepared for it's hostile reception. The members of this committee adopted every subterfuge to
 misrepresent the document which they l were supposed to be considering as statesmen. Deputations of foreign born citizens were brought to Washington in
 an effort to color and exaggerate the im- pression of popular opposition.
 | The Senate had even begun the discus son' of the treaty months before It's negotiation was concluded, and did not terminate it's debate until nine months 1 dIltT lIit SuDiiitSSiOit Ot ll6 treaty. II | took the Senate nearly three times as long to kill the treaty by protracted de- | bate and by confusing and nullifying Amendments and reservations as it took the representatives of the allied govern ments to draft it.
 l It was not the business of the Presi- dent, when he brought this treaty back l from France, to join with MT. Lodge and other republican leaders in their delib-
 crate purpose to destroy it. Had he ini l tiated, suggested or assented to changes (which would have substantially altered | it's nature it would have been a distinct lbreach of faith with his associates Of the peace council and a violation # American pledges. Every one acquainted with diplomatic usages, or With the plain requirements of honesty, understands
 this. The foolish invention that the Presi- Ident refused to permit the dotting of an 'i'' or the crossing of a 't' has been l so often repeated that many honest peo- pie believe in it's truth.
 1 In every speech made during his tour. the President stated entire willingness to accept any and all reservations not in- compatible with Americas honor and | true interests. It is the plain intent of | the covenant that the Monroe Doctrine l is excluded, that domestic questions are l exempted, that not one American can be sent out of the country without for- nal action by Congress and that th5 right of withdrawal is absolute. If there are words which can make these mean 1 ings clearer. they will be welcomed. Il ! is not reservations that the President stands against, but nullification.
 1 When the President came back from Paris in February, 1919, he brought the
 first tentative draft of the covenant of | the League of Nations. He gave pub
 licity to it. It was published throughout
 the land He invited the friends of sueh | a league to submit criticisms. Former
 Pr esident Taft offered four amendments, , former Senator Root offered six amend- ments; and MT. Hughes suggested seven. | At meeting of the committee on foreign I relations at the White House in March, l 1919 other changes were suggested. These | amendments were taken back by the President to Paris and their substance was actually incorporated in the revised draft of the league. pr. Lowell pres,- dent of Harvard University, in his joint
 debate with Senator Lodge, invited ths 1 latter to suggest constructive amend' ments which the President might incor- l porate in the draft; but he refused so l to do At no time has he offered con- structive criticism. So intolerant was his attitude that he would not even consider
 a compromise proposed by former Pre< 1 dent Taft of his own party and which was assured of the support of forty dem- | ocratic senators. Senator Lodge knew l that he controlled the Senate and that | in his own time and way he could de- stroy the treaty.
 l This is the sordid story of it's defeat. l. No blacker crime against civilization has ever soiled the pages of our history. The | last chapter was written at Chicago. l The republican platform not only repu- ldiates the League of Nations, but praises, without discrimination all of the repuo- llican senators who participated in it's de- lfeat. Its words of benediction fall alike
 upon the irreconcilables, the Lodge reser- lvationists, the mild reservationists and | those who proposed a separate peace with Germany. It is consistent in one thing only the recognition of the fact that the open foes of the treaty the secret foes of l the treaty and the apparent friends or the treaty who conspired with it's ene-
 mies are equally responsible for the de- | struction of the instrument itself. It would be idle to inquire by what politi-
 cal 1egerdemain this meaningless and yet | ominous declaration was prepared. It is enough to know that the "Old Guard'' l sold the honor of America for the priv | iilege of nominating a reactionary for 1 President
 THE CAUSE OF PEACE
 The war had set great task for l world demanded that a serious attempt
 be made by the leaders of the allied gov Iernrnents to formulate treaty of peace which should prevent the recurrence of war Every rightful impulse of the hu-
 man heart was in accord with that pur- pose. From time immemorial, men have dreamed of peace; poets have sung of it.; philosophers have written about it;
 statesmen have discussed it: men every. l xyha and nrqVad that the l day might come when wars would no longer be necessary in the settlement oc I linterna tional differences.
 | For the first time in the turbulent an-
 nals of the human race, such project ! had become feasible. The destruction of Imilitarism, the crumbling of thrones, the dissolution of dynasties the worldwide appreciation of the inner meaning of war and the final triumph of democracy had at last made it possible to realize tho dearest dream that ever crossed the night 1