The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-09-24
OPPOSITION TO
RATIFICATION
OF PACT GROWS
Borah Fights to Last ;
Johnson May De-
Sert Him.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright 1921

b1 DAVID LA NRENCEs
Copyright 1921
Especial to The Argus.)
Washington, Sept. 24.-Oppositior
to the new treaty with Germany is
growing but even the opponents of
the pact admit that they cannot
hope to prevent ratificatioEs.
Both Parties Split.
The Republican party is split, but
so are the Democrats. Senator
Borah has assumed the leadership
of the irreconcilable" faction and
with characteristic independence is
asserting that the new treaty has
some of the same objections as the
Versailles pact had. Several of the
against the pact for entirely differ
ent reasons.
There is a rumor afloat that Sena-
tor Hiram Johnson will desert the
''irreconcilables," or so-calIed bat
talon of DEATH" and vote for the
treaty but this could not be con-
firmed today. The prediction gener-
ally is made that Senator Johnson
will be found at the side OF Borah
and that others of the ''irreconcil-
able" group will aid the Idaho sem
ator in his fight. The opposition to
the Wilson treaty developed in
much the same way. Senators John
son and Borah were the pioneers
while most of the other Republicans
favored the Versailles treaty and
even league of nations with reser-
vations. Gradually Messrs. Borah
and Johnson drew to their side
many of their colleagues until they
obtained a working majority. After
that the treaty of Versailles was
doomed.
Demos Embarrassed.
The Democrats are in an embar-
rassing position. If they presented
a united front, they could prevent
the ratification of the new treaty.
But Senator Underwood who might
have been counted on to lead the
fight is a member of President
Harding's commission to the arma-
ment conference and it might be
awkward for him to engage in party
warfare at this time Senator Hitch
cock of Nebraska, who made a val
liant fight for the ratification of the
Versailles pact has taken the view
that some kind of a peace treaty
with Germany is better than none
and that the sooner peace is de-
clared between Germany and the
United States the better il Will be
for the people of both countries.
Probably he, too, will take occasion
to criticise the treaty but will not
Cbstruct its ratification.
Long Debate Dangerous.
The handspring of opposition
therefore lies in that wing OF the
Democratic party which believes
the separate peace with Germany is
humiliating and ought to be defeat
ed, and that group of Republican
senators known as the battalion of
death" A coalition of the two
groups is not at this writing formid-
able enough to worry the admins
tration. The danger of defeat lies
entirely in the possibilities of pro-
tracted debate. The longer any
treaty is considered, the less favor
able are chances for ratif1cations
The 'irreconcilables" who plan to
vote against the new German treaty
are saying to their colleagues that
if the battalion of death" disinte-
CRATES, it will be considered proof
that the original opposition to the
Versailles pact was hardly based
upon conviction and was nothing
more than a personal and political
fight against Wilson. Senator Borah
hna CT h.
throughout and that he is opposed
to foreign entanglements of any
kind whether embodied in a treaty
made by a Republican or a Demo-
cratic president and secretary of
state. Other Republican senators
are inclined to take the view that
party loyalty requires them to re-
verse themselves and go along with
President Harding and Secretary
Hughes. The ''irreconciIables" are
pointing out that the senate Repub-
licans voted almost solidIy for a
reservation which would prohibit
the executive branch of the govern
ment from participating in the ac-
ton of any commission or organiza-
ton formed under the Versailles
treaty or League of Nations with
out the consent of the senate. Now
it is claimed that the new pact per
mits the president or secretary OF
state to send an official representa-
tive to any commission provided for
under the Versailles treaty.
witcfif1that tooile MoutlnS9OS.
1t is an odd situation. The cir
reconcilable" Republicans ara
against the new treaty because it
has too much of the Versailles pact
in it The ''irriconciable" Demo
Gratis are opposed to the pact be-
cause 1t hasn't enough of the Yer
sailles treaty included.
nan 1hE!nuTEn