The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-26
Lodge Under Fire

lnSTb hrG HOt PRASNA'S 't. Washington, however. so generous as tho President in taking the view that the point was so immaterfal as to have made little or no difference whether the American delegates no. tified the President of their action in acuuiescing to the mainland con tention in the secret sessions which framed the treaty. Senator Lodge ls under considerable fire for having failed to mention the mainland or Japan as coming within the purvieW of the treaty. He mentioned virtu ally every other island within the en- tire expanse of the lilly sprinkled waters of the Pacific" but over looked the Japanese mainland.
 Senator Lodge Is likely to continue to hear the brount of the blame for the incident involving President Harding, but he will also lead the fight for ratification in the Senate. He will be seconded, of cource. by Secretary Underwood, the titular leader of the democratic minority. It is apparent now that President Harding. after his own experience in the Senate, had the possible difficult tIes of ratification In mind when he selected the two party leaders Of the Senate for the American delegation. With the leaders of both parties committed to a treaty, made in Wash lngton. 1t is inconceivable that a suc- cessful fight could be made against such convention.
 It has been somewhat bewildertns to the foreigners in Washington to have the impression thrust upon them that the entire foreign policy of the United States in the future Is likely at mn domestic partisan considerations. These foreigners had had it painfully explained to them that they should have placed no faith in anything President Wilson did In the name of America at Paris because. at the time Mir. Wilson's party had lost control of the Senate But now President Harding's party Is in control of tho Senate and still the European and oriental delegates hear talk that the new treaty. signed here in Americas $ own state department, may be turned down at the capitol. Even the talk of making reservations in connection with possible ratification Is some- what amazing to them.
 Senator Lodge. author of the reser- vations to the treaty of Versailles. Is certain to fight all essential reser- NatlOnS to the fdClIlC* pact. "A TeSef vation. for instance. declaring the pact shall not apply to the mainland of Japan, would be a direct repudt- ation of the American delegation. which recorded it's view in secret ses sion that the pact shall apply to the Japanese mainland.
 Japan's Position
 One of the most mystifying dis closures in this connection is the statement that Japan did not want the pact to apply to her mainland that she felt 1t was humiliating in 2 way that the pact should so apply Yet the British delegates, supported by America and France, called in at the last moment, insisted Japan should come under protection of the treaty. It is explained, of course that this was done to make it cer- tain that rhe dominions of Australia and New Zealand and the territory of Hawaii came within the protective clauses of the pact, but the Senate opponents of the treaty regard this as an insufficient explanation and will demand more light on the secret sessions which preceded the present ation of the pact in open conference
 It Is very evident from all of this that the treaty debate will be acrim- onious and long, but in the end both reason and the treaty unauestionably will prevail.