The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-12-14
AS Others See 1t
A NEW FUNNY MAN
palm Beach Post.)


Artemus Ward, Mark Twain and AL Joson may
retire from the role of American funny
Henry Cabot Lodge has beaten them all at their
own trade and the mantle is his along with the
cap and bells
Barring positive msstatement the speech OF
the senate leader presenting the cooling off
treaty is the funniest thing that has been put
into English this century. The speaker made a |
serious error when he referred to 1.-The treaty
the terms of which have been agreed upon by
four of the great powers" With all respect for
his reputation for veracity and accuracy, it
should be recalled that the terms have only been
agreed upon by sundry public officials and dele
gates to a conference the limitation of arma
ments and that the four peoples concerned have
yet to be heard from.
Enough of hair-splitting, however. Laughter is
what the world needs so let us to the meat of
the nut.
The signing of this treaty." said Senator
Lodge, continuing, lis on the part of the United
States subject to the making of a convention with
Japan concerning the status of the island of zap
and what are termed the inundated islands in the
Pacific ocean, north of the equator, the negotia-
tons in regard to which almost concluded,
and also TO the reservations with respect to what
termed the. inundated islands in the PACING
ocean, south of the equator"
After all of the reservations and exceptions are
in, it will be entertaining to observe what the
dickens this treaty is all about anyway.
at should also be observed that the controver-
sizes to which the proposed treaty refers do not
embrace questions which, according to principles
of international law lie exclusively within the
domestic jurisdiction of the respective powers"
Dear, DEAR then controversies are not "un-
thinkable' despite the harmonious accord in
which the four great ones are divvying up.
THE conference will perceive that spoke cor
recty when l referred to the terms of the treaty
simple. To put it in few words the treaty
provides that the four signatory powers will
agree as between themselves to respect their in
sular possessions and dominions in the region of
the Pacific and that if any controversy should
arise to such rights all the high contracting
parties shall be invited to joint conference look
ing to the adjustment of such controversy They
agree to take similar action in the of ag-
gresson by any other power upon these insular
possessions domnions. The agreement is to
remain in force for ten years after ratification
under the constitutional methods of the high con-
tracing parties the existing agreement between
Great Britain and Japan which was concluded at
London on July Is, 1911, shall terminate And
that is all. Each signer is bound to respect the
rights of the others and before taking action in
any controversy to consult with them. There is
no provision for the use of force to carry out
any of the terms of the agreement and no military
naval sanction turks anywhere in the back
ground under cover of these plain and direct
clausesss
Like all good jokers, Mr. Lodge gives away the
show at the end
IF the nations of the earth are still in the in
Dermost recesses of their consciousness planning
or dreaming of coming wars and longing for con-
quests, no treaties of partition and no alliance
can stay them; but if, as firmly hope the world
has learned a frightful lesson from the awful ex-
periences of the great war of 1914, then our sur.
est appeal in order to prevent wars in the future
must be to the hearts, the sympathies the reason
and, the higher impulses of mankind
In other words the treaty is either superhu.
Gus or futile. If nations are going to fight, thew
Will not be deferred by treaty more or less and
If they prefer to keep the peace no treaty is nee
essary. Which is just what we had suspicioned
all along, put beyond the pleasure of having an
opinion cerroborated by an acknowledged hest
mind GRATITUDE is due Mr.. Lodge and his pals
Ior an example of humor that should keep the
world laughing for the next ten years
SCARCE AprtcIr