South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-06

the house either. for that matter-ls sufficient
warrant in the estimation Of that majority for
fusing anything everything In the second place
authority to accept such mandate. would have
been 70 that extent ratification Of the treaty of
Versailles. bringing into business with
League OF Nations. and half inclined i'm
agine that the president made the request much
as anything just for the satisfaction Of watching
the congress squirm.
In the third place. while the president may be
"a very sick mans seemingly hoped by the
siderable army OF Wilson haters on Capitol Hill.
and ezewhere.-every once in a while ne
"roua- TO" IN excellent form. able drive
home sledge- hammer blow that forces his oppo-
nents to doubt their sick man" dream. Such an
opportunity furnished last May II, by Sen.
Harding. Ohios favorite son-in the quest OF Iresi-
dental honors.-when he introduced his resolution
in the senate calculated embarrass the white
house. congratuating Armenia on the recognition
OF her independence. and expressing the hope that
stable government. proper protection of in
dtvidual liberties and rights and the fun realza-
ton OF nationalistic aspirations may be at
tanned by the Armenian people"
Evidently the president wanted TO know whether
the Ohio senator and his supporters in the senate
meant by stable government" a horse-stabe. cow
stable something OF that sort, government
for the people, and It may be that he submitted his
request for mandatory a means Of finding out
whether the senate really sincere or was just
stopping over IN another gust OF expressed hopes"
without willingness to do something. assume some
responsbility,-help in evolving those hopes into
a reality
But the Harding resolution went farther than the
above quotation. IN his quest OF the pro-Armenian
vote, by making senseless flourish OF pretended
friendship. he closed with this declaration:
Resolved. That in order to AFFORD necessary
protection for the lives and property Of citizens
of the United States at the port Of Batum and
along the line OF the railroad leading to Balu
the president is hereby requested, II not incom-
patble with the public interest to cause
United States warship and force Of marines to
be dispatched to such a port with instructions
to such marines TO dsembark and to protect
American lives and property"
that protection for the lives and property OF
the United States!" Protection against
the Armenians. suppose meant. No sugges-
ton OF protection to the Armenians against the
Turk and other powers. as supplemental to
gratulations in the furtherance OF that stable
government. - and the realization OF nationals
tic aspirations" etc, with which the Ohioan
tempted to mollycoddle real sympathlzers with the
Armenian cause. We quite imagine the presi-
dent pinning those demagogic resolutions his
bedIost they had been officially presented
10 him. and reviewing them in wide-awake awe Of
their sublimated audacity- The gap left wide
open. The astute would be successor to Mr.. Wilson,
and his anti-League OF Nations colleagues. who
ing put the president while in France. dem
onstrated the unwarranted egotism in their as
sumption that they would have been wiser, well
that to have failed TO it down their threats
would have been asinne.-beyond emblemizing
the democratic party.
And thereupon the president. with trembling
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. do so like to men
ton that trembling hand" whenever they mention
the executive observation-disclosures to congress a
forever remain classic; Will survive political
nails CT the cutting phrosophically
sincere. cleverest shrewdest diplomatic rebukes
band OF demagogues. that has been uttered since
Cicero and Demcsthenes. We repeat some Of the
more eloquent and salient sentences:
1T received and read this document Cthe
Harding res9lution) with great interest and with
genuine qualification. not only because Il
bodied my convictions and feelings with
regard 20 Armenia and its people. but also. ano
more particularly, because It seemed TO me the
voice OF the American people expressing their
genuine convictions and deep Christian SYM
pathies, and intimating the line OF duty which
seemed TO them to lie clearly before U.S.
Indeed Yes. the president here pretends 20 take
the Harding resolutions Just exactly pretend
srs in the senate expected the transporting public
60 take them-but wait. He stood ready throw
his whole soul into the fulhllment OF the resolu-
tion's apparent designs. having already decided
accept the delicate and difficult task" OF acting
arbiter OF the boundary disputes between Armenia
and Turkey being stipulated IN the treaty be-
ing negotiated between the associated powers and
Turkey. and being further willing II agreeable to
the congress. that the United States undertake
mandate over Armenia as proposed the confer
Of Versailles. This having just been brought
his attention BY the League OF Nations council
at San Reno. the president goes
I'm response TO the invitation OF the council
San Reno, urgently advise and request that
the congress grant the executive power 10
cept for the United States a mandate
Armenia. make this suggestion in the earnest
belief that 4 Will be the wish OF the people OF
the United States that this should be done The