The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-03-07
Expect Hot Debate on Ratifi-
cation But Friends Believe
Alliance Will Win = Atti-
tude of Senators.
PUBLIC OPINION RULES
nv MARK SULLIVAN

the chances are that most of the de-
velopments of that debate will be
adverse to the treaty.
Nearly all that can be said in it's
favor is already known. and most of
The speaking in it's favor will consist
OF repetitions of the familiar appeal
10 confirm the results of the Wash.
ington conference.
AS it stands today, the overwhelm
ing bulk of the Republican party Is
favorable to ratification. Many of the
Republican senators have doubts, but
these doubts are mostly of kind that
can be satisfied by reservations of
one sort or another
Four in Opposition.
Only four Republican senators are
definitely in opposition They are:
Borah, of Idaho; Lafollette, of Wiscon-
sin; Johnson, of California, and France
of Maryland Incidentally, the last
three of these come up for nomination
and election the coming summer.
Johnson, for example, will need &c
satisfy the voters of his state that
he is right, at primaries that come
in August and the election in Novem-
Der. France will need to do the same
thing in September and LaFollette in
the same month.
Aside from these four there are
three other Republicans who are
nearer the area of doubt than any
others These are Mccormack, of IL
linois, Moses of New Hampshire, and
Brandegee, of Connecticut. No one
of these three has made any public
statement of his attitude, but persons
who talk with them privately get
nol1 ho ha
disposition is to accept the general
favorable point of view of the country,
and "go along" with the party.
Aside from these seven the entire
Republican majority is in one degree
or another favorable to ratification.
Only some unexpected development
during the debates. or some obvious
change in the present attitude of the
public would lead to further defec-
tions among the Republicans.
Where Democrats Stand
As to the Democrats, there are about
half dozen who are inplacably hos
tile to the treaty, and about an equal
number who are definitely and strong
" favorable to It, But the bulk of
the Democratic party is on the fence
and the attitude of the party as a
whole will be determined by events
which are in the making this week.
One thing is clear. Underwood is
not able to deliver his fellow Demo
cratic senators as party Hardy
any of the Democrats will be deter
mined in his position. or even in any
degree influenced by the fact that
Underwood is for the treaty. II
Harding thought he was insuring
Democratic support by making the
IF
of the participants in the conference
he will be disappointed.
On the treaty. as we'll as on some
other matters. Pat Harrison, of Mis-
sissippi comes nearer being the
spokesman of what may be called the
militant Democratic thought in the
senate than Underwood.
Trying To Decide.
There is no definite anti-treatI
leadership among the Democratic sen
ators. They are merely in a state o
trying to make up their minds wha
10 do. You talk with one of them or
Monday and he expressing a half
hearted intention to vote for ratifica
ton. You talk with the same man Oh
Saturday, and find he has begun t.
wonder whether the country may no
change its attitude and is going t
wait until the debate is over befor
taking definite position.
This thing that may be called TIL
sentiment of the country is what viii
really determine the question. If tn
country stays where it is now believe,
70 be-namely, in favor of making tn
Washington conference a clean job b.
ratifying all of it's results-then tn
considerable body of Democrats VIII
have the balance of power will vot
that way But if the country show
signs of being disturbed, if the suspiC
ions and doubts expressed in the OF
position speeches find any measurabl
response among the public, then tn
treaty will fail.
Public Opinion To Rule.
If the country continues to be s
Overwhelmingly favorable to tn
treaty that it would be disposed t
show resentment against any forms
party action against ratification, tn
Democrats will avoid incurring tha
odium.
The factor that will determine tn
question will be the crystallization {
public opinion, it must be said that O
any question of foreign relations it
easier to arouse public opinion in OF
position than in favor. 1t is easier [
arouse suspicion over a small obje
tion than to achieve clear popular III
derstanding of the whole of subjet
that is both complex and foreign
If Harding and Hughes had the DC
itical genius to dramatic the favo
able aspects of the treaty and the nee
of ratifying II they could win.
Lodge Not Genius
Lodge has no such genius. The vi
lence of the things he did during ii
league of nations fight is such thi
his present sponsorship of the fou
power treaty is a liability rather tha
an asset. 1t has been suggested tn;
/ a strong and moving appeal from Il
president to the country to give g
ok" to his negotiations with foreit
governments might bring such a r
sponse as would settle the matter.
1t has also been suggested TIL
Continued on Page Four)