Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-03-09
Fate by Mal-PayahIe in Advance.
Maryland and virginh.
Lodge on the Treaty,

In support of tine four power treaty..
Senator Lodge delivered in the Senate
yesterday one Of the most impressive
speeches ever heard in that forum. IT
was impressive for its clarity, for it's
logic, Fer its, measured caImness and
Ter its lack Of exaggerated statement.
lie d1d not claim perfection for the
work OF the Washington conference or
predict that it had set the worlds feet
on the millennium pathway. 1t is only
an experiment. he conceded, but he
avowed Faith to believe that the bet
ter instincts of mankind are all with
us in the effort
Senators listening to his words must
have felt. as they had net felt before,
the weight Of responsibility resting
upon them. The best hope Of the
world for future where peace may
people of the United States.- he said
II we fail. who can hope to succeede'
Senator Lodge made it plain TO the
duiiest understanding that if the four
power treaty fails the other conference
agreements must fail also, or, remain
ing. be but empty shells. If the four
power treaty fails the Angle-Japanese
alliance, a distinct menace to the peace
Of the United States. VIII not be abro-
gated II the American Senate rejects
the four-pCwer treaty the agreement
Tor limitation of naval ornaments is
1-al1y H.
failure of the naval treaty, as Senator
Lodge said, would shock and startIe
the world and bitterly disappoint the
American people,
Opponents of the four-powe treaty
profess to see in it the possibility that
at some time in the indefinite future.
through some set Of undetermined cir
Cumstances. it may involve this coun-
try in some unknown but unpleasant
complications. That such possibility
exists undoubtedly is true, and it
would be true of any sort of a COM
mitment which human ingenuity
might devise. Unpleasant complica-
tons could just as truly be forcseen
as a future possibility If the nation
refused to enter into any commit
ments OF any kind at any time Future
unpieasantness will cease to be merely
possibility and will become proba-
bility bordering on certainty if this
country rejects the work of the Wash
ington conference, permits the Anglo
japanese alliance to stand and makes
-
in naval ornaments.
The four-power treaty and the other
conference agreements may not be an
assurance of a peaceful future, but
they constitute the most practical and
most promising step in that direction
mankind has ever taken. Their rejec-
ton will amount almost to assurance
of future wars. II is between these
alternatives-the promise Of peace and
the continued expectation Of and prep
aration for war-tilat senator's must
choose. Theirs today is tine response
bility and from it there is no escape.
To that responsibility they will be
held by millions of mothers the world
over who mourn for slaughtered sons.
They will be held to it by scores Of
thousands of young Americans. MAIN
ed and broken in the war to end
wars" They must answer for it to
the children Ct today. who will he the
men to fight future war, and the
wives and mothers to endure its ago
MES. Ard their responsibility still
will run to generations yet unborn.
for if this effort at the prevention of
wars shall fail, who can hope to sue
cced?"
That responsibility will be heavy on
the minds and hearts of senators wher
they come to vote. and surely on that
fatefuI day no petty things will sway
them. They will rise above resent
ments Of the past and the vanities Of
the present; each will search deeply
his own conscience, and those who
hold to prayer will pray fervently for
guidance. For it is solemn hour In
the history of the world. and the Sem
ate of the United States has a solemn
part to PLAY