The Owosso times., 1922-03-24

during peace. In view of this, and
in view of the relation Of the treaty to
the results of the conference, Its
failure would be nothing short Of
national calamity"
The senate debate over ratification
confirms the wisdom Of the Presidents
choice of Senator Underwood as con-
ference delegate. There are those who
consider the senator from Alabama one
Of the ablest men in public life. He
certainly had a large opportunity for
his skill as debater when he at
tempted to round up his recalcitrant
followers for ratification. The first
day he stood for three hours before the
Democrats he has led in so many par
tisan battles, arguing that they should
forget party lines and join with the
administration forces for ratification.
1t was almost exclusively Democratic
show, with the Republicans sitting on
the sidelines and watching the astute
minority leader fight it out with his
unruly followers. The anti-treaty
Democrats were trying to trap him
into an admission that the treaty In
effect constituted an entangling al
lance. But he insisted on conference
agreement" Some of them 'heckled'
their leader. Only the unfailing good
nature Of the Alabaman STAYED off
stormy session. 1t was a situation
that only an experienced and able man
could meet
Next came an assault on the treaty
by Senator Rorah of Idaho and Sena-
tor Johnson Of California, Republican
irreconcilables. They questioned the
authorship Of the treaty, despite the
letter from Secretary Hughes. Senator
Lodge Of Massachusetts, majority
leader, made them admit they had not
meant to reflect on the veracity or
Secretary Hughes. In effect the two
senator's assailed the treaty as
"quadruple alliance" Senator LenrOot
of Wisconsin answered them.
The pro-treaty forces scored a VIC
tory Tuesday when they voted down
an amendment by Senator Joseph L.
Robinson of Arkansas designed to
wreck the treaty. The Robinson
amendment would have had the effect
Of converting the four-power pact into
a league Of nations. 1t pledged all the
signatories to respect each others ter
ritorial integrity and to commit no act
Of aggression against any nation out
side the pact. Furthermore, 1t provd-
ed, in case of disputes, that outside ma
| tlons interested should be invited to
participate In conferences held under
the terms Of the fOur-power pact.
The vote was So to 80. Eleven meme
bers were absent Six were paired.
The five impaired absentees are all
counted for ratification. Four Repub-
| licans, committed against ratification,
voted for the amendment: Borah OF
Idaho. Johnson Of California, La Fol-
lette of Wisconsin and France of Mary
| land. Four Democrats voted against
| IT. Underwood of Alabama, Pomerene
Of Ohio, Ransdell Of Louisiana and
Williams of Mississippi. Later similar
amendments by Senators Walsh Of
Montana and Pittman Of Nevada, both
Democrats were voted down by sub
stantially the same vote. Then a
series of amendments and reservations
was dumped into the hamper to be
ready for presentation before the final
roll call.
T IFE to Uncle Sam just now must
IL seem just one treaty after an
other. Anyway, he presented last
week to the allied reparations commits
sion in Paris bill for S241 100000 for
the expenses Of the American army Of
occupation on the Rhine up to May /,
1921. The allied commissioners regis
tered frozen horror, but thawed suffi-
ciently to stick the bill on a spindle.
You see, they were engaged In divid-
ing up among themselves a reparations
payment of 100000, 900 gold marks by
Germany and naturally regarded the
presentation Of the American claim
which to. date Is something like $780,
O,OO0-as very bad form. They there
fore washed their hands of the matter
and referred 1t to the allied govern
ments.
The French press sets forth what is
presumably the allied view: The Unit
ed States declined to ratify the treaty
Of Versailles, hence 1t has no legal
claim to payment under its terms. The
United States made its own separate
treaty with Germany therefore II
should do Its own collecting from Ger.
many. The British press-some Of 1t
thinks that. while Uncle Sam has no
legal claim, he may have a moral
claim, but why didn't he speak W