The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1921-03-25
LEOPARD" LODGE
CHANGING SPOTS,

Washington, March 19th.-Wash-
ington is witnessing one of thoes ply
siological miracles which periodically
sustain interest in the political me-
nagerie.
It is watching the leopard change
his spots.
In the present exhibition, Senator
Henry Cabot Lodge, of Massachu-
sets, is the leopard" and his views
on the Columbian treaty the "spots."
In 1917, Lodge called the treaty "a
blackmaid demand" At the behest of
President Harding, who has request
ed the Senate to ratify the treaty as
its first official act following the
confirmation of his principal appoin-
tees, the Massachusetts, statesman is
now preparing to lead the fight for
its ratification.
Whatever hope Lodge and the 9TH
er Senator's who fought the treaty
four years ago may have had that
their views would have been forgot
ten in that time, examination disclos-
es that far from eulogistic comments
report printed as a public document
by the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations. When a majority of the
committee, then Democratic, reported
the treaty favorable and urged its
ratification in response to an appeal
from President Wilson, a minority
consisting of Senators Lodge, Borah,
McCumber, Brandegee and Fall de-
clared:
Report of G. o. P. Minority.
This payment can only be
predicated on the assumption that we
are indebted to Columbia, either NOR
ally or legally, and no combination of
words, no niceties Of diplomatic
language can hide the naked truth
that this treaty is an admission that
the conduct of this country in acquir-
ing the right to construct a canal
across the Isthmas of Panama was
wrong committed against Columbia.
On no other hypothesis could Colum-
bia ask for this indimnity of $25,000,-
900, and on no other could we ac-
quiesce in that demand.
'sWe cannot afford to purchase cor
dial relations with any country. We
cannot afford to answer a blackmail
demand. Once respond to such a de-
mand, and we shall be held up for ev-
cry fancied wrong by other coun-
tries"
Not only did Senator Lodge sign
this minority report, but as the rank
ing Republican on the Foreign Rela-
tions Committee, he undoubtedly for
mulated the report. He urged these
views in season and out of season
whenever the Columbian treaty was
taken up in executive session.
Four years have elapsed since that
report was written, and the towering
Indignation of 1917 has become some
thing more than passive acquiescence
in 1921. For Senator Lodge, now
chairman of the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations, and Senator Fall,
now in the cabinet as Secretary of the
Interior, are among the foremost ad-
vocates of answering a blackmail
demand and purchasing cordial re-
lations" with Columbia.
OF the original group which signed
the protesting minority report at that
time, only Senator Borah is still mill
tant resistant to any suggestion that
the Senate give its consent to the Col
umbjan treaty, providing for the pay
ment of $25,900,000 to the southern
republic in settlement of 17-year-
old controversy over President Roos-
evelt's action in recognizing Panama's
independence following the Panama
revolution. The United States got
the canal route out of it, with rail-
road and other concessions thrown in.
Strangely enough, the shadow of
Theodore Roosevelt lowering over the
treaty threatens to prove the first OBJ
stacle to harmony in the Harding ad-
ministration. A little group of Sena-
tors, former followers of the Colonel
and his policies, served notice they
would block action on the treaty dur
ing the short special session of the
Senate, and plan to continue their re-
sistance in the extra session to be
called in April.
Senator'S Borah, Johnson, Kellogg,
La Toilette and several associates are
fighting it, claiming the treaty is
per confession of guilt in the ac-
QUESTION of the canal zone.