Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-12-23
GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH SENATOR LODGE

ding to have to eat his own words, back water and admit
that he did not know what he was talking about when he
gave his own Interpretation OF the four-Power treaty. But
he did it in a manly way and tried to make the best Of
a most unfortunate situation.
The representatives of the United States, Great Britain,
France and Japan attending the conference fol, the limita-
ton of armament now in session at Washington, signed a
treaty which provides that the contracting parties agree TO
respect each others rights as they now exist in relation to
their insular possessions and insular dominions in the regions
of the Pacific ocean, This means that for the next ten
years, at least, all the islands of the Pacific are to remain
under their present ownership and if any power threatens
20 attack any of these islands the four nations that have
signed this treaty will confer at once 'in order to arrive at
an understanding as to the most efficient measures to be
taken, Jointly and separately, to meet the exigencies of the
particular situation"
OF course, there is nothing binding on any of the four
treaty nations to compel them TO go to war over these islands,
but to take such steps as may be necessary ito meet the ext
gencies of the particular situation" which is only a diplo-
matte way of saying that they will fight, if necessary to pro-
tect the rights of the nation that may be attacked.
This treaty, by the way, was said to have been the work
of Senator Lodge, who, it will be remembered, had so much
TO say about Americas moral obligation under the Yer
sailles treaty which included the League of Nations. The
Versailles treaty did not bind any nation to go to war, either,
but Senator Lodge and the rest of the Wilson haters harped
a great deal about that moral obligation" One might we'll
ask, what is there about the islands of the Pacific that would
induce the United States to enter into this ''entangling al
lance when an alliance of a similar nature was severely
nnndemned when it included the rest of the world, and es-
pecially Europe?
Be that as it may, the fact is that these four nations,
the United States, Great Britain, France and Japan, entered
into this agreement-at least the representatives of these
nations at the Washington conference have signed such an
agreement-and the work has been hailed by Republicans
generally as a great achievement for the Harding admins
tration.
But in guaranteeing the safety of the "insular posses
sions and insular dominions' someone was mean enough
to point out the fact that as 'insular dominions' means all
island dominions, it must necessarily include Japan. proper.
as Japan, after all, is nothing more than a series of islands
stretched along the coast of Asia. The guarantee was known
10 include Australia and New Zealand but nothing was said
about Japan, proper, by the willy Senator Lodge in his
speech presenting the treaty.
At first the question about Japan was lodged. but one
OF the newspaper men put it up to President Harding and
the President proceeded to spill the beans. He declared
that the treaty did not mean to guarantee ANYTHING as far rs
Japan, proper, was concerned any more than it was intended
to guarantee the homeland of the United States. Naturally
as the United States had refused to guarantee France or anv
european country against attack on the ground that it wonld
involve the United States in an entangling alliance the
President was justified in taking it for granted that the
American delegates, especially with Senator Lodge as one
of them, would not think of entering into anv agreement to
guarantee Japan from attack.
But right there was where The President did moi know
what he was talking about. 1t seems that the American
deiegates mad secretly agreed with the rest of the delegates
III Japan was 10 De included as one of the "inSular dOmin-
IONS to receive protection under the four Power treaty. It'll
was with this understanding that Japan gave up her rights
in her separate treaty with England.
but the American delegates had not seen fit TO tell the
president about this secret, although they were supposed TO
he acting as his spokesman. The American delegate who is
supposed to keep the White House posted as to what is going
on inside the conference is Senator Lodge. Either Senator
Lodge kept the truth from the President deliberately or he
dd not deem it worth while to tell him. In either case the
massachusetts, senator is running true to form. He is treat
Tag President Harding just as he would like to have treated
PRESIDENT wilson. Can anyone imagine a treaty being signed
IN the name OF Woodrow Wilson as President of the United
States without Mr.. Wilson knowing all aboutit?
President Harding is known to be good natured and
easy going. He is just the sort of a man such leaders as
senator Lodge like to see in the White House. tt enables
them to dominate as they will. Sooner or later President
Harding will have to have it out with Lodge. The President
VII have to show the senator his place or else submit TO the
senator dlctallon with the President all but ignored. But
10 show such a man as Senator Lodge his place means war