The Washington times., 1922-03-27
BY PHILIP FRANCIS.

| by fhILif TnSNNfS.
| Among those absent when the
treaty was ratified last Friday was
General Enthusiasm. That vener-
| able veteran of the reporters vo-
cabulary was conspicuously not
there.
The spectators took the result
quietly, like men and women who
know their medicine has been pre-
pared and must be taken. But
they did not like 1t. Neither do
! the plain folks elsewhere. They
will say 80 when election day gives
them a chance to talk TO the party
in power.
| Just as noticeable was the lack
! Of enthusiasm among toe Senators
who put the thing over. A more
| cherries lot OF victors never looked
upon their handiwork. Ther acted
precisely like men who had per
formed as ordered and were re-
lieved that the Job was over.
/ speak the truth in saying that
there were men who had hand
| in that days bad work who In
their hearts were thoroughly
ashamed Of it-men who would
much rather have voted against
than for that covenant of cowardice
and league with troubles to come.
Also II was as plain as pike
staff that even the leaders were
not all proud of their achievement.
1t is impossible that such men as
| Lodge and Underwood did not know
the irony Of the contrast between
their attitude toward this little
league of nations and the other
League of Nations.
Nothing but mean and con
temptible political subservience
could explain both attitudes.
There were other men taking
part in that days bad work who
must have felt sadly out of place
in such company, who did not be-
| long in such company, who could
not possibly be at ease in such
company.
They were men whom the best
and the truest Americans have de.
lighted to honor. From that emi.
nence of admiration and respect
they have fallen. 1t was a painful
thing to sea sorrowful, pitiful,
humiliating thing.
They, too, will hear yet the re-
buke of the American people, and
they will deserve IT. But many of
us will listen to that just rebuke
with sorrow in our hearts that so
much that was honorable and
brave and of good report was
stained and broken and overthrown
in one fateful, evil hour.
The crowning act OF this stupid
and indefensible program OF alli-
| ance with England and Japan will
come soon-and a vicious and
reasonable act 1t will be.
The same men who voted for
this covenant Of cowardice will
vote to make sure that cowardice
in the future becomes expedient.
They will vote to destroy our
splendid ships Of war, to strip our
navy of the weapons with which
It could and would defend the peo-
pie and the land against any foes
who might come to assail them.
History is fun of blunders that
| II seems incredible governments
could have made and peoples per-
mitted, but IL there Is in the whole
catalogue of such blunders ono
that is more amazing, more sense
less. move Indefepsible and bigger
with invitations to war and dsas-
ter, my reading has not acquainted
me with II.
1t Is useless for a man like Lodge
to affirm that his intelligence and
information are equal to those of
any American opposing this alli-
ance, and that he and his col
leagues should be trusted to know
what to do for the country's good.
The biggest fool things ever done
have been done by men who could
talk and write with great skill and
cleverness. and who knew history
by heart. Look at the late and
unlamented Woodrow Wilson, for
example.
Now, then. It would make no diff.