Evening star., 1921-03-14
WORRIES
FOES OF LEAGUE.
Report of Proposed Over
lures From France DisturbS
IrreC0nCiIaDIes in Senate.

IrreConciIabIes in Senate.
The irreconcilables in the Senate
hear authoritatively. so they say. that
France. speaking for the other first
class powers in the league of nations,
VIII shortly notify President Harding
that the United States will be well
coined into the league of nations on
its own terms. This information,
coupled with the additional informa-
tion that President Harding and Sec
retary of State Hughes will give the
French proposal careful consideration,
is causing some unrest among those
senators who supposed the league
was dead and buried.
The opponents, of the Versailles
treaty and the league are already
genuinely concerned over the pros
pect of the administration being i'm
pressed with the invitation that is
to be extended. Some of the senators
believe. SO they say. that Ambas-
sador Jusserand has already broached
the subject of the league in the con-
VersationS he has had with Secre-
tary Hughes in the last few days
but If he has brought up the subject
even in an informal way. the State
Department has made no mention of
the fact. 1t is presumed that Rene
Niviani, the former French premier
who will shortly sail for the United
States. will be the messenger to carry
whatever France, as the nation with
most at stake and as the spokesman
for the allies. has to present to the
American government.
1t is regarded as interesting,
whether significant or not, that
hi fan 6..x L.
took hold here the question as to
whether the league of nations is dead
SO far as the United States is con-
cerned should be raised. and raised
in such way as to make the ir-
reconcilable senators prick up their
ears.
Less Talk Of New Association.
There is not as much talk about a
new association of nations as there
was-an association that would be a
substitute for the league of nations.
Now that the responsibility for ac-
tion rests with the republicans there
is noted a freer disposition to take
account of the obstacles in the way
of a new association of nations. The
league covenant is. of course. bound
up with the Versailles treaty. Many
persons who have talked glibly about
the United States being influential
enough to kill the league have over
looked this fact.
The men who must now handle the
situation for the United States know
that the league cannot be killed
without tearing the treaty to pieces,
and France. as the chief beneficiary
under the treaty, does not want to
see it disturbed. Well informed men
express the belief that France. as the
spokesman for the league. will re-
mind the United States that many of
the provisions of the treaty-pro-
visions that vitality concern France
are being administered by the league.
For instance. France will be able to
point out that the league is admins
tering the Saar basin and Danzig and
has supervision over disarmament in
Germany and what was Austria and
Hungary.
Obviously. nothing would please
Germany more than to have the
treaty, of which it is complaining,
ripped to pieces in an effort to Kill
the league of nations. This is pre-
clsely what Germany has hoped for
and worked for since she signed the
treaty under protest
Problem OF the Administration.
The really difficult problem of the
new administration is to do what it
would like to do about the treaty and
the league without helping Germany
to win the war-win it even at this
late day.
The republican members of the for
elgn relations committee were con-
ndent until recently that % the Yer
sailles treaty would never receive
further consideration from the SEN
ate. CD that the Knox resolution of
June 2, 1919, for a separate peace
with Germany could be and would he
adopted at an extra session of tbe h
Congress to be held this spring and
go that the last had been heard of
the possibility of the United States
becoming a member of the league of
The entire program of the republi-
can members of the foreign relations
has been upset by recent
The committee as a
whole and the Senate as a whole
would not touch the Knox resolution
at the present time. The friends of
that resolution express the hone that
shortly after the opening of the spe-
cial session the situation in Europe
may clear UP so as to make il eY-
pedient for the Congress to nut the
resolution through.
Early Decision Not Expected.
As the time for the extra session
the impression that the
is not likely to reach
a decision with respect to the treaty.
league situation for many months
gains ground. The short and easy
way out of the dilemma is the way
that has been opened since the day
the Versailles treaty was laid before
the Senate-to ratify the treaty after
having made proper safeguarding
Rut the powers that be within the
party now in power. having said so
often that the treaty is dead, are not
to let the thought of giving
i further consideration enter their
minds.
1t will be for the executive DEPART
nent to work out and suggest to
the foreign relations committee
way out of the dilemma President
Harding and his cabinet will in due
time propose way out.
Secretary Hughes, it is well known,
has already given the subject careful
and it may be that he
will have a solution to propose be-
fore the extra session of the Con-
zress is very old. In the meantime
he administration has its ear to the
ground. eager to assess public senti-
nent with respect to a proposed sep,
arate peace and with respect to a
proposed new associat:a= &c E2.!ons.