Evening star., 1921-05-12
Editorial Digest
Lodge VS.. Harding.


The alleged split" between Senator
Lodge and President Harding on the
question of a separate treaty with Ger
many has brought forth comment which
might be said to divide itself into two
groups. that which treats the question
in general sympathetically and that
which sees in the friction an opportunity
to criticize the administration as
whole Apparently those who do not
feel that there is any real difference
between III" head Of the foreign rela-
tons committee and the White House
withhold all comment.
An editorial in the. New York Times
Nnd' pendent dtmoCratIC). which seems
to represent a fairly general attitude
among 1T least one group Of newSpa-
pefS. has been widely noted. The Times
SAYS: Mr.. Lodge is assuming the func
n"unces the policy of making a separate
peace with Germany, overriding the
policy declared by the President. l,
is he who says we can have nothing
more to do with the treaty of Nrr
SMILES. although the President has de-
clarcd that we should engage under
il.
This statement and the added pre-
dict.0n that the lords paramount of
the Senate are banded together to
max Sh''l Mf. ltnrOSe s DDaSt tndt
Mr.. Lodges committee will blaze the
way in foreign relations" is doubted
by the Charleston News and Courier
(d"mocratic). The Springfield Repub-
iican Cndcp"nd"nt. however. while
ma * !n@ no comment one way or the
other. t"rSely remarks that lit looks
as if tn" Senate was on the job" and
the Er0oklHn Eagle Gndepcndcnt
d"moc~aticl intcrprets the Lodge
statement ms support to the extraor
binary declaration Of Mr.. PenroSe,
quoted above.
DiscOuntirG tho senator's own "X
!l"natinn Of his remarks by declaring
h" had reference to minor commerc. al
agreements the SyracuS" Herald Gn-
d"pcndenn finds, as "a reasonable
presumption" that Senator Lodge
said something in the Senate, in the
rapture of a successful fight for the
Knox resolution, which he had no
right to say
AS long as Senator Lodge was ex
pressing only his own views, the Sioux
City Tribune independently points out,
'he was wholly within his rights as
a senator" but If they are an indi-
cation that the Senate intends to med
die in foreign affairs" then they take
on a sinister aspect" The Fort Worth
Star-Ttl"gram Gndopcnd"nt demo-
cratic) doubts" that things have
reached this stage. but in case IN ed
ding" is attempted it declares that
,th" country Will not stand too much
from tn" Senate"
The Syracuse Post-Standard (re-
ruhlican) looks upon the Lodge dec
iaration "aS a challenge" which,
however. eff the President accepts it,
and puts his own proposition before
the Senate. will result in victory for
the White House. In the opinion Of
the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette Gin
pending" for the President has been
'.humiiated. insulted r.pudiated -
publicly" and either he 'or the SEN
ate clique must surrender"
Viewing as a 'rebuke" and a
warning" to the Senate the state
ment "emanating from executive
sources" that mo such conclusion"
cd by Harding and his advisers" the
Newark News independently predicts
"A first class row. Senate interfer-
ence. it adds. has been resented at
the White House, exactly as President
Wilson opposed senatorial encroach-
ment upon the executives powers"
The Lynchburg News (democratic)
also sees IAN impending collision"
but believes that the "deep-seated
feud now taking shape" is really be-
tween certain senators and Secretary
Hughes, and that Mr.. Harding is
attitude toward Congress by his pre-
rner."
The ST. Louis Post-Dispatch inde-
pendent declares that 1.-The Senate is
in the saddle: that is the significance
of the senator's speech" Will Mr..
Harding yield to it, dictatinn2 II he
does the Constitution will Be amend
ed Wgiis Sg S'nSsa' thas Portland tMe5 Herald
Gndependent) finds things tin a
pretty tangle," it thinks PreGident
Harding does not intend 'to hand
over to the foreign relations commit
tee Of the Senate the presidential
function of negotiating treaties"
The New York Evening Post Nnde-
pendent), without attempting to
probe the depths Of the disagreement
between the Capitol and the Execu-
tive Mansion, contents itself with q
few caustic remarks directed toward
Senator Lodge. Let him, 1t urges.
make the peace resolutions and the
peace treaties Of the nation, and he
cares not who makes its general
statements Of policy" Mr.. Harding
it continues. lis at perfect liberty. SO
far as Senator Lodge IS concerned.
to shape our forecasts. II the foreign
relations committee is permitted to
belle them"