Evening star., 1921-12-20
The Four-Power Pact.

The abundant comment on the four
power treaty demonstrates the trutn
of the statement by the Buffalo Times
(democratic) that 1.-The public mind on
the treaty is in the formative stage.
The first rush of expression runs
greatly to comparison and contrast De-
tween the new treaty and the league
covenant Many friends of the league
profess to see in the pact what the
Omaha World-Herald independently
calls a league Of nations, limited.
and commend it as "a good thing as
far as it goes" to use the words OF
the Charleston News and Courier
(democratic). Other friends Of the
league. and also its enemies. dwell
upon the variance between the pact
and league provisions. Still other cd
itors view the pact only as the log
ical successor to the Anglo-Japanese
alliance.
The Des Moines Register (independ-
ent republican, holds that this union
" 18th three nations already members
United States" since it cannot unite
with members Of the league without
being to that extent tied to the gen.
eral program" That the treaty does
imply a moral obligation" is the opln-
ion Of the Rochester Times Union On
dependent), a view reinforced by the
New York Tribune (republican). which
observes that 1.-The outstanding fea-
ture of the understanding is that IT IS
an alliance entered into by the speclnc
nations that possess power. e1ciud-
ing other Interests OF TT tne e aachnc hac
hind decisions arrived at" though the
New York Herald Independently de-
scrtbes the pact as "a gentleman's
agreement that will work out The
New York Globe Gndependeno thinks
when article x, which the Senate re-
jected with such scorn. has become
the headstone Of the structure OF
peace in the Pacific we can AFFORD to
be grateful" Already the opinion OF
mankind" says the Milwaukee Jour
nal (Nndependent, is asking tne
of the principle of article x where
big nations are concerned. it should
refuse to Join smaller nations In such
a guarantee" while the Minneapolis
tribune (republican). on the other
to join "a police force for the keeping
OF order wherever dinky remote little
nations" take up arms. "In the Wash
ington treaty" states the Philadelphia
North American (progessive), dom
inant nations, victors and equals in
great war, IoT tne Ais liiiie u'i.e ~.
seeking to promote peace and Justice"
The Jersey City Journal (independ-
ent) thinks it may be theoretically con-
ceived that Great Britain. France and
Spain might agree upon a course OF
action that America did not approve"
and that it 'is not clear that America
in such case could play the part of
an absolutely free agent, as America
could SO clearly do under article x Of
the covenant" The Chicago Post (in-
dependent) holds the new treaty as
lining three powers up against any
threatens Violence" though the terms.
in the opinion Of the Adrian (Mich.)
Telegram (independent), are more or
less elastic" and in such case ut Is
always up to each nation to decide
how far it Is bound to CO." thus justt-
gressive republican, warning that ut
is well to remember that diplomats
never mean exactly what they say"
This idea is elaborated by the Hart
ford Times (democratic) concerning
the meaning OF an agreement pc
rights" since more than two persons
agree among themselves" and 1t is
not clear whether leach nation IL to
respect It's own rights, whether all to-
gether are going to regard rights as
sort Of q lump sum and respect them
as SUCn, OF "uCIAcT S1Ao l1dtiOho ~
lectively agree to respect the rights
of each Individual nation" The paper
suspects that this "loose use Of words"
IN "deliberate." "Just what these
rights may BE-" the Johnstown Demo-
crat (democratic) goes on to- say.
"may be moro or less nebular. and
they are "in some cases denied by the
people directly concerned" The Nor
folks Virginian Pilot Independent
democratic) thinks the arrangement
viii work smoothly" because 1t
mounts guard over rights that have
not been seriously questioned for q
hundred years." but that It 10 mot an
acceptable substitute for the agencies
Of Intervention and adjudication that
.Whst we have" comments the In.
dianspoiis News Independently ''is not
an alliance against any one, but a
self-denying ordinance binding all the
parties to It to recognise and respect
ono anothers rights in the Pacific"
and one .of its points of strength"
the Cincinnati Tines Star (republt-
can) thinks. 'is its aack Of an elabo-
rately devised machine for enforcing
its provisions" The Phi1adelphia Bull
letin independent republican, looks
upon It as the .'beginning Of tho Hard
ing ideal Of the association OF ma
tfons" the "mOSt substantial founda-