The Washington herald., 1921-12-13
FIGHT ON IN SENATE
BOr a h Sees Alliance as
"War-Breeder," Not
Peace Move.
SAYS ARTICLE TWO .
WILL MEAN FORCE
Real Disarmament" Not
Begun by Conference,
He Asserts.

The four-power alliance is a war
breeder, unless there is real dis
armament" says Senator Borah. of
Idaho. Real disarmament" has not
been attempted by the conference.
he holds.
The Idaho Senator attacked the
treaty in the Senate yesterday. He
warned he would oppose ratification
unless disarming went farther than
contemplated. Capital ships. he ar
gued, are not a basis for armament
reduction, because they are obso-
lcte and the new weapons-subma-
rines and aircraft-are unrestricted.
Leagues or alliances, Borah con-
tended. become military alliances
when nations maintain heavy arma-
ments.
Borah's attack. the first criticism
made from the floor. revealed what
arguments against the treaty will
come up when il reaches the Sch
ate, and the objections that will
be raised by those who fought the
Versailles treaty.
Reed supports Borah.
Senator Reed. of Missouri. Demo-
crat and irreconcilable. supported
Borah's arguments. PoindeNter, of
Washington. Republican. who op-
posed the Versailles pact, answered
Borah.
Senator Robinson. OF Arkansas. a
Democrat, agreed with Borah's in
depreciation Of the new treaty. but
did not object to it. II went further
Robinson declared. than did the
league of nations, in providing for
force. Robinson's argument was
accepted as the view of many Dem
ocrats.
Borah's objections revo1vcd bout
Clause II, which provides for a
conference OF four powers to de-
eide on the most efficient meas
urcs" IL their rights arc threat
ened. This. Borsh insisted, would
bind the United States morally to
use force. should such conference
deem it necessary. He compared it
to Article X of the league cove
nant
Sees Use of Force
suppose" said Borah, there is
an aggression which causes another
conference. The powers assembling
will represent the greatest arma-
ment ever dreamed Of
They say there is no military
force lurking about this treaty.
grant you that in the language
Itself it is not provided for But
the practical carrying out Of Article
II means the assembling Of the
armed forces of the four great
powers. They could assemble and
not use that power. but IL they did
use that power II would be the first
time in history any such thing hap
pened.
Alliances and leagues and asso-
Citations. organized for peace, be-
come a league for war"
The treaty, Borah said, would not
deprive Congress of its right to de-
clare war. But decisions reached
in conference would impose a moral
obligation as binding as treaty,
he argued.
PoindeNter Answers Him.
Poindexter insisted the treaty i'm
poses no obligations that do not
already exist
I'm other words" Poindexter re-
piled. this treaty does not amount
to anything one way or the other"
Robinson supported Borah.
Article II contemplates existence
of an emergency" he said 1T is an
agreement to decide upon means of
protecting rights The most efficient
measure for carrying out the agree
ment undoubtedly would be appli-
cation of force"
Article two does not provide for
anything except aggression" Borah
inisted.
Reed declared that IL the confer
ence decided to employ force, I'VE
would stand before the world as a
breaker of treaties" IL we did not
comply.
Poindexter objected to compari-
son with article ten.
There is nothing in this treaty
which could be distorted into either
legal or moral obligation on
the United States to preserve the
territorial integrity and political
independence of any party" said
Poindexter.
Is "Armed World,
Borah said he would subscribe
to entrance in any international
league. If the powers were to meet
as peaceful nations.
But when this conference
closes" he said. there will be no
disarmament which. will be calcu
lated to settle these matters
through peaceful instead of mill
tary means. So long as IL is an
armed world, the league and the
alliance which we write VIII be an
armed league, and armed alliance,
and settle their matters in that
way"
Senator Watson. of Georgia.
democrat, argued that Japan would
not surrender the Anglo-Japanese
alliance unless she were getting
something just as good"
Senator Stanley, of Kentucky,
Democrat, said all alliances lead to
war.
In the language of Napoleon,
these four powers mean to have