The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-11-05

HlinlsJIatttH-
This plan. which has been confidently
discussed during the campaign. will be
put into effect just as soon after inaug-
uration as possible. 1t has the merit of
affnrding a beginning in the inevitable
process of reconciliation between the var
iouS factions in the senate.
No matter what the votes may have
heen in peace treaty and covenant, the
round robin is the single document that
all the Republican senators-both ir-
reconcilables and reseryationists-hav
signed.
Senator Borah may have regarded dur
ing the campaign that he was against
associations or alliances of any kind but
his name was signed to the round robin,
the text of which puts him on record
AZ fayoring some kind of a league of ma
ttOuS.
Moreover it may be a surprise to the
word outside of Marion, Ohio. but it
is an open secret here that Elihu Root
Will not be secretary of state i'll the
next administration. Also ii may be
disclosed that Mr.. Root is not in par
ti,.uiar high favor here and that he will
not be the minister extraordinary or
high commissioner to deal with Europe
as so many people have supposed. There
is not the intimacy between Senator
Harding and Mr. Root. which has been
so often suggested, as the basis for a
| Harding Root team on foreign policy in
the next Republican administration.
| This may be disappointing to Il large
number Of people but it is nevertheless
| true. 1t is known for instance that Mr.
| Root sent Senator Harding cablegram
| from London. the friendineSS of which
| to the present league of nations was not
ta Nbp f,FF l,Az
| for the presidency.
| Also there is a feeling here that Mr..
Root didn't play the game during the
campaign and that the part he took in
| the formation of the international court
which has been created under the league
! OF nations was direct recognition of a
| type of world organization which the Re-
publican party was fighting.
| There is no particular bitterness or
/ hate against the people who made the
| present league of nations but one en-
| counters strong convictions among the
| men who reflect Hardings viewpoint con
| vlctiOns that lean more to the so-called
! 'irreeOncilables" like Johnson. Borah
| and Mccormick than the pro-leaguers
! like Root or Taft.
| To be sure. most of the folks surround
/ ing Harding from whom he has been
| taking advice are antiIeaguers and bit.
/ ter enderS.' They make no secret of
! the fact the overwhelming election re-
| turns are calmly pointed to by them as
! Yndlcation of the ''irreConcilable" view.
point. Senator Harding. however. has
| always insisted that his political oppon.
ents purposely misconStrued his position
as one of opposition to any league or as
| ISOLATION whatsoever.
/ Perhaps this was because neither Sen.
atOr Borah nor Senator johnson. lead,
! ers of the irreconcilable group. spent
\ much time arguing what kind of league
4 they would favor. but condemning the
II present league. The Republican plat.
Il form in Chicago accepted by Borah and
i johnson, favorS IAN international agree
ment.' to accomplish the same general
4 objects which the Democrats have
claimed the purpose of the Wilson Gov
enant- But more specifically than the
Republican platform the Harding policy
II is reflected in the following text of the
famous round robin sent originally by
II the Republicans in the senate as warn
| ing to President Wilson in the midst oil
the peace negotiations:
Il Whereas. committee of the peace
II conference has proposed a constitution
/ for league of nations and the proposal
/ Is now before the peace conference foi
its consideration, now therefore BE il
| resolved by the senate of the United
/ states in the discharge of its cOnStitu
i tionai duty of advice in regard to treat
i les that 1T is the sense of the senate that
/ while it is their desire that the nations
of the world should unite to promote
! peace and general disarmament, the con
4 stitutiOn of the league of nations in the
Il form now proposed to the peace confer
\ ence should not be accepted by tho
i United States and,
Il Be it resolved. further that il is the
II sense of the senate that the negotiations
on the part of the United States should
II be directed to the utmost expedition oil
Il the urgent business of negotiating peace
H terms satisfactorily to the United States
Il and the nations associated in the wal
| against the German government and the
/ proposal for a league of nations to in
sure the permanent peace of world
should then be taken mp for careful anC
| serious consideration"
Il 1t is the last paragraph favoring "a
/ league of nations to insure permanent
peace" and the preceding paragraph ex-
pressing desire that the nations Of
the world should unite to promote peace
and general disarmament" which af
fOrds President-elect Harding his premise
for a new foreign policy Senators
BOrah and johnson cannot go back OF
their signatures to that document They
are committed to a general alliance OF
association or whatever name it may b,
i called
JnqheStlonably 1t VIII be President
elect Harding's purpose to negotiate
treaty with Germany covering the mail
points in the Versailles treaty which re
late especially to the United States. Al
for the formation of a league of nations
it is genuinely hoped by the president
elect that the good in the present cove
nant may be retained and that the bad
as he sees it. shall be removed BY tn
common consent of all the nations nov
members of the league
Senator Harding particularly object