The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-07-07

Harding AZ President and custodian of
American foreign policy to say whether
he will follow law or domestic politics.
Ii is thought the irrecOncilable element
is making considerable noise but the ir-
reconcilables are not as strong as they
were when the Wilson administration
was in power and the entire Republican
party was conducting a general attack.
Now II becomes party matter. One of
the irrecOncilables himself privately adj
nits that if Mr. Harding and Mr.. Hughes
get together on a program and announce
it. there viii be considerable support for
the same even from the irreconcilable
group. He predicted that if Mr.. Hard
ing made the treaty party matter
probably only half dozen votes would
be cast against II. Certainly the DEM
ocrats would support the Versailles
treaty even though they win make a de
tcrmined but probably vain effort to re
tain the clauses referring to the league
of nations. More than two-thirds of the
senate favors the ratification of the Yer
Sailles treaty with reservations. Previ-
Gus votes show that and present senti-
mcnt confirms it.
Must Use Treaty.
! Furthermore. Mr.. Hughes viii prob
ably advise his client that unless the Yer
Sailles treaty Is used as a basis. just a.
/ President Harding said in his first mes
| sage to congress that he believed it would
! be the wiser course to follow. the entire
] foreign policy of the United States will
! be in n taugle.
| Certainly one big fact has already
| leaked out of the department of state.
] 1t is that there is no present intention
1 of renewing diplomatic relations with
/ Germany until a treaty is signed between
/ Germany and the United States. The
! KnOx-Porter resolution is really a one
1 sided affair. 1t proclaims a state of
peace 50 far AZ statutes OF the United
/ States are concerned 1t doesn't bind
/ Germany, and Mr.. Hughes is going slow
about giving to Germany the advantages
of peace-time relationship with the
| United States until Germany signs on the
! dotted line treaty disposiug of the many
claims which the United States holds di-
rectly and indirectly against her.
Even the proclamation of state of
peace which usually makes peace an es-
| tablished fact after a treaty has been
/ signed and ratified has not been issued
i by the White House. The delay is sig
\ nificant. 1t IS one thing TO have con
/ greSSional resolution declare q state of
! peace. 1t is another thing to put forth
4 IA proclamation notifying the world in
Guiding GERMANY. that the United States
/ considers herself at peace. If the latter
were true. there would be no need of a
| treaty of peace at all and the LAWYERS
are expressing themselves against iSsu-
| ing prociamatl0n OF peace until after
treaty with Germany has been made
| Mr.. Harding is at the parting of the
| ways again He has hoped against hope
for compromise. But the ''irreconcil-
ablcs" don't see it that way and thew
! are making trouble by threatening all
| sorts of things if the Versailles treaty
comes back to the senate. But Mr.. Hard
! ing must follow the advice of his dis
1 tingnished counsel. the secretary of state.
| or follow the senate group which has
/ blocked ratification from the start The
I chances are he will stand by Mr. Hughes.