The New York herald., 1922-03-04
SATURDAY. MARCH 4, 1922.
A Weak Attack on the Treaty.

Senator HITCHCOCK begins his cam
paign against the Four Power Treaty
with the air of a man who has little
heart and ammunition for the job.
Unless he can stir his Democratic
colleagues with something bit
hotter than the arguments he has
offered it is unlikely that enough
Democrats will be won away from
OSCAR UNDERWOOD to defeat the ratifi-
cation of the treaty.
This treaty" says Senator
HITcHcocK, was not mentioned in
the call for the conference" That is
true; the President said in his invita-
tion that ''it is not the purpose of
this Government to attempt to define
the. scope Of the discussion in rela-
tion to the Pacific and the Far East. "
What was not stated in either the
call or the agenda, but what every
body knew who gave the matter a
thought, was that one of the prinr
pal objects of the Washington Coz
ference was to prevent war in the
Pacific.
The Four Power Treaty was not
mentioned in the Presidents call,
perhaps for the reason that it had
not at that time been chosen as the
most desirable instrument for peace.
But the general objects which the
treaty attains were clearly enough
set forth by Mr.. HARDING when he
declared that this Government wished
10 find solution of Pacific and Far
Eastern problems" He wished to
reach, as he said, "such common un-
derstandings with respect to matters
which have been and are of interna-
tional concern as may serve to pro-
mote enduring friendship among our
peoples
Senator HITCHCOCK tries in vain to
make a parallel between the Yer
sailles method and the Washington
way. He speaks of President HARDING
as wishing to have the treaty ratified
without the dotting of an "i' or the
Hrossing of "t." The Nebraskan
Seems to forget that Mr.. HARDING did
not follow Mr.. WILSON'S example
The Versailles treaty, with its inter
woven Covenant, was one man doc.
ument so far as the United States
was concerned. But at Washington
President HARDING entrusted the dip
lomatic fortunes of the United States
to four capable men, HUGHES. RooT,
LODGE and UNDERWOOD. He relied on
their judgment. The whole country,
we think, relies on it. And that
judgment resulted in the acceptance
by the President, subject of course to
the consent of the Senate, OF the
Four Power Treaty. 1t is rather fool.
ish of Senator HITCHCOCK to try to
picture President HARDING as an au
tocrat when everybody knows the
+ contrary.
Mr.. HITCHCOCK complains that "the
genesis of the treaty suggests an old
fashioned alliance" The Brandegee
reservation, which has been accepted
by the Administrator Senators, de-
clares that under the terms of this
treaty there is no commitment to
armed force, no alliance, no obliga.
lion to join in any defense" That
should be reassuring enough to any
statesman who sees an old fashioned
alliance or any other kind.
The Four Power Treaty estab-
fishes no entanglements and no super.
government. The nations joining in
the agreement preserve their entities
and yield nothing OF their sover-
eighty. The treaty assures the dis.
appearance of the war cloud from the
Pacific in so far as the relations OF
America, Britain, France and japan
IRE concerned. II is a guarantee
against bloodshed and, incidentally, a
saver of millions of money.
Senator HITcuCocK remarked on
Thursday that his first impulse was
10 accept the treaty Perhaps he will
return TO that good starting place
md vote in the spirit that he showed
oward the zap treaty.