New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-16

ministration to take hand would
repudiate assurances which have kept
many Senators quiet. There are soTne
members who would denounce such &C.
ton no matter which side the govern
ment might seem to be taking. Then
shere Is n group which would open an
attack on the President, IL the Ad-
ministration took the side of the Brit
ish, and another group which would
attack If the side of the French were
taken. So that the hope, which for
the last few days has been mounting,
that friction over international ques-
tons between the President and the
Senate is to be avoided would be de-
stroyed, apparently, beyond any ques-
ton. The fight might not get any
where, and the President would prob
ably be able to duell 1t, but certainly
1t would be disturbing, and would af-
feet, probably, the whole problem of
handling international affairs for the
present Administration.
Affects Congressional Elections
There is more danger in this Silesian
controversy than that of tanning into
fame the old Versailles treaty fight. 1t
goes directly to the Congressional cleo
tions next fall and concerns the for
eign vote. The Polish vote alone is tre-
mendous in Buffalo, Cleveland, Chi
cago, Milwaukee, Detroit and other
large industrial communities, mostly
east of the Mississippi Senators from
states in which this element is i'm
poytant are worried over any partici-
patton of the United States in any
question involving Poland. The Ger
man vote. has been so much discussed
and considered, beginning about the
time of the 1915 election, that no re-
capitulation is necessary to show the
concern which Senators and political
leaders generally feel about that.
1t is impossible to exaggerate the
Importance attached to the Silesian
situation with respect to the foreign
vote by the men here who have made a
life study of how to win elections
and that includes most Of the states
men as well as the politicians in
Washington. Most Of them are be-
seeching the Administrator not to let
its fingers touch the buzz saw.
Getting back to more statesmanlike
reasons there is the added trouble that
il this government takes one side it
antagonizes the French, and if it takes
the other it antagonizes the British.
But far less is heard here about that
than the other two troubles--the danger
of Senate fight and the foreign vote
problem
There has been no word from the Ad-
ministration that any action is con-
templated, since the original intima-
lions given at the time of the announce
ment that the United States would send
representatives to the Allied confer
ences on postwar problems and for the
next few days thereafter In those
few days determined efforts were made
by Admin stration spokesman to quiet
the opposition to the move which might
come from irreconcilable sources in
the Senate and through the country.
Assurances were given that this step
by the government did not mean move
in the direction of the League of Ma
tons, nor of involving this country in
European disputes which did not CON
Germ the United States.
1t was in this connection that the
word "silesia" was specifically men
tloned as being of the type of contro-
versy in which this government would
take no part.