Evening star., 1920-03-09
THIRD TERM TALK
AROUSEDBYLETTER
Presidents Attitude Toward
League Suggests Pro-
Ionged Controversy.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Ionged Controversy.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Were it not for the fact that the
political cloud hangs heavy over
everything nowadays, Mr.. Wilson's de-
sire to go campaigning for third
term being suspected on Capitol Hill
just as much as the White House
holds the treaty foes guilty Of politi-
cal motive, the latest contribution oy
President Wilson to the literature OF
the treaty debate-his letter to Sena-
tor Hitchcock on article A-wouio
have fallen On more fertile soil.
But the White House and Congress
have rubbed each other the wrong
way so long that Mr.. Wilson's appeal
on the merits of article X itself
wherein he pointed to the dangers Of
militarism and the return to the old
order Of things in Europe unless the
United States put the weight OF It's
moral influence in the scales-hardly
had the effectiveness which might
have attended the same argument under
other circumstances.
The President continues to hurt the
sensibtlities of senators, Doth demo-
Gratis and republicans. forgetting that
while they themselves may not be dis
DOSeQ 10 see the DEOAu OutlihCo Va III
ternational policy with the same clar-
ity that he does, they nevertheless
have enough votes to ratify or reject
the treaty. Mr.. Wilson Is naturally
impatient with democrats who are
ready to surrender to the Lodge res
ervationists. He minces no words in
his letter to Senator Hitchcock, be-
cause he doesn't think the senators
have been particularly mindful OF MS
own sensibilities.
AccompIishes Several Things.
To catalogue the effects Of Mr.. Will
sons letter to Senator Hitchcock IL
only to paint the perplexing picture,
tive branches of our government:
still at odds since the people voted
for q divided government in 1913. but
to add now the obvious break between
the titular head Of the democratic
party and senators OF thas poi',sn Sa
Tending article x against even in
terpretatlve reservations, and Ger
tainly against all other kinds OF res
ervations, does several things.
1t separates Mr.. Wilson from . MI r.
had enough faith In the league OF ma
tons to try it even with the Lodge
'supererogation."
It discourages democratic senators
who have been working for compro-
mise on artlCie - aHu wy . ,T,
fered interpretative reservations. These
Mr.. Wilson dismisses as work OF
'superrerogation."
II revives talk of a third term for
Mr. Wilson. who Intentionally or unin-
tentionally has not taken the least pains
to refute the impression that he wants
to prolong the league controversy as
vehicle for another campaign in his own
behalf.
1t confirms the viewpoint of Sena-
xryhN
argued all along that the league In
wolves q distinct departure In Ameri-
can foreign policy and that If Mr.:
Wilson Is right. the covenant shoula
be adopted without qualif1cation, ana
II he IL wrong. 1t should be re1ecteo
camoufiage of reservations" Mr.. VII
son defines the alternatives the same
way. He sees no middle ground.
1t challenges the mild reservatlon
lists" to drop their middle ground. II
calls them mild nullifers," q termi-
nolosy that offends that group of
senators which has been zeaiou usiy
trying since last November to bring
about the ratification Of the treaty.
Forces Firm stand.
Finally, it cracks the whip over the
heads of the democratic party In the
Senate and makes those senators VINO
are up for reelection next fall stano
tionably. can write into the dem-
ocrattc platform all of article X.
whether he can get it into the treaty
or not. Mr.. Bryan says article y
cannot and should not be made
campaign issue. but he doesn't con
troll the democrats Of the Senate. the
President has compelled an onendeo
and reluctant following in the Senate
from compromising on reservation-
ist program. He has put his letter
AeRh VI
moment. But he has. on the other
hand. forced the mild reservationists
to take their stand with senate.
Lodge and the republican party, WIN
the prospect that their number added
to the irreconcilables in the repubi-
can ranks will be enough to accom-
plish what Senators Borah. Knox.
johnson and the rest Of the out-aho-
out opponents of the treaty haTe
sought for months to accomplish. II
doesn't make either democrats or re-
| publicans comfortable.
Respect for Obligations.
The awkward and regrettable part OF
| the dilemma is that at heart the sen.
ate of the United States doesn't want
to repudiate the obligations, moral or
physical, imposed upon this country ny
the war. The very group which IS most
nous paragraph Ave Of Senator knoxs
resolution to the general enect tnae
whenever it became necessary to pre-.
serve peace in the world the United
States would even consider seriously
putting the strength of her Army ana
Navy into the balance to prevent a re.
currence of such a condition as brought
| on the European war.
] So 1t looks as If the issue Will go
to the people after all. Mr.. wilson
| lighting proudly for his conception OF
Amerioanism wants the American
| people-not a bare majority of the
senate-to pass upon American for
eign policy. If he is to be repudiated.
he wants to take his medicine IN an
election which unlike 1918 would oe
fought out primarily on matters OK
| foreign policy.
| All Of which sounds good to several
senator's who are equally confident OF
what the American people would say