Evening star., 1921-03-19
Editorial Digest
The Colombian Treaty.

Ine COLOMBIAN treaty.
The belief of the Fremont (Neb)
! Tribune (republican) that the reason
! the Colombian treaty has been so diff
/ ficult to settle is because of the hon
est differences of opinion existing
among men as to it's real virtues"
seems to be borne out in the press
discussion of that treaty which has
followed President Harding's request
for it's ratification. Adoption of the
pact is warmly advocated and op-
posed. with expressions of opinion
upon it ranging from simple Justice
and duty" to "blackmail'' and graft"
but the division is not altogether po-
liticaL What one writer calls the
dead hand of Theodore Roosevelt"
Seems to direct the argument of the
opposition, but the prevailing sentl-
ment is that, whatever the merits of
| the old fight may be, at present Latin
! American friendship is of far greater
Importance. and that ratification of
the treaty is a necessary step in Sc
curing better relations.
A number of papers which are un-
alterably opposed to the indemnity OF
S23.ooO.000 proposed in the agreement
question the manner in which the sub
1ect has again been brought forward.
pendent republican,, ask. What is
back of the project?" The Phiiadel-
phia North American (progressive) is
"a little bewildered by the revival of
an t-discredited undertaking. and
1t, too, wants to know whence comes
the passionate eagerneSS of present
statesmanship to fulfill one of the
most indefensible commitments of
Wisconsin,
The impetus, however, is simple and
plain to the Springfield Republican
independently, which explains that
what was blackmail in March. 1917.
has become debt of honor in March,
1921. by the delightfully."- simple proc
eSs of turning out the democrats and
putting in the republicans" But the
New York Evening Post Gndepen-
cent believes that even if President
Harding's message on the treaty
gives his party an appearance of in
consistency, 1t is a kind of incon-
slStency of which we need more, and
the Republican agrees that the coun-
try has reason to be glad of it."
But the action of the so-called
Roosevelt senator's" in delaying dis
cussion tends to bear out the prophecy
of the Louisville Courier-Journal
(democratic) that ratification will not
be accomplished without consider
able disturbance of that unruffied
party harmony which is the supreme
desire of the President" The admin
istration forgets. the Boston Tran
script independent republican, says.
that the fundamental question in
volved has twice been the subject of
national referenda" in which the
verdict of the people has been
against Colombia
The knickerbocker Press (Albany.
republican, expresses the sentiment
against the treaty when it says that
frankly it is a s25,000.000 game of
is an a-ffront to the memory of Theo-
dore Roosevelt" or. in the stronger
expression of the Detroit Free Press
independently, a direct insult" The
New York Herald independently pro-
tests against the consideration of de-
mands which cannot be granted
without reproach to great and hon
orable leader of his country and with
out discredit to the American name"
The Philadelphia Public Ledger Gin
dependenO regrets that the merits
of the Colombian treaty question are
complicated and clouded by senti-
mental considerations relating to the
memory of Theodore Roosevelt" But
his friends, the Fort Wayne Journal
Gazette (democratic) believes, ARE
doing scant justice to him in assum-
ing that anything in the way of
justice to small and friendly state
would be unjust to him. and the
Wheeling Intelligencer republican)
agrees that his greatness and posi-
tion in history cannot be tarnished
by the adjustment of small inter-
national dispute"
The Houston Chronicle (ndepend-
ent) smoothes over the difficulty by
declaring that this government could
consistently justify President Roose-
velt's policy and still concede that
Colombia is entitled to compensation"
"The common sense of the Amer
ican people and all sentiments of
justice favor ratification of this
treaty at the earliest opportunity"
the Chicago Daily News independ-
ent) declares. not only as matter
of abstract justice. but because, as
the Chattanooga News (dernocratfc)
puts it. nothing could go farther
toward assuring Latin American
countries of our unselfish purpose to-
ward them than would this action.
While the treaty is "a matter of no
very great Importance in itself" the
Minneapolis Tribune (republican)
feels that its failure has put in the
hands of hostile South Americans an
argument which they have used with
damaging effect" and ratification Of
the treaty, the Pittsburgh Sun demo
cratic) adds, will give US the chance
to equal our fine phrases" about
brotherhood and pan-Americanism"