The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-04-14

ne sustained after his first term as gov
ernor. but he stuck to his guns and was /
elected governor for two terms there I
after Anyone who has believed Mr. |
Cox is out of the running and is not to |
be reckoned with. found out differently |.
this week when the former standard /
bearer of the party entered where
others had feared to tread and boldly /
announced his faith in the league of ma
tionS issue. The effect in congress has
been to arouse discussion in which, of
course even Democrats not particularly
unfriendIy to Mr.. Cox. have questioned
the wisdom of interfering the league is
sue into the congressional campaign.
when there are so many other things
that have happened in congress or failed
10 happen which can absorb the stump
speakers this autumn.
Republicans are not so comfortable
about the revival of the league debate as
may seem on the surface. Senator Me-
dill Mccormick of Illinois. one of the
original irreconcilables. took note of Mr.
CoXs utterance and gladly welcomed the
issue and some Democrats promptly said
the Illinois senator was hoping some
thing would come up to divert attention
from the record of this congress.
Not Taking Strongest Position
But the truth is, even Mr. Cox has
not begun to shape the league issue III
the form in which. politically speaking
Democrats to handle it. To argue merely
FOR the entry of the United States into
/ the league is nothing particularly new
| and permits the Republicans to repeat
! sheir contention of European entangle-
| nentS. But there is another phase of
the greater question of international CO
| operation which is bound to be embar-
| RAISING TO the Republicans themselves.
and the Democrats. especially Mr.. Cox.
are ShreWd enough to know the yulner-
| able spot in Republican armor. Sena-
/ tor AlcJumber, chairman of the all-im-
portant senate finance committee. and
| entitled tC be- considered as a IppubE-
can, has himself handed the issue to
| Democrats. lie has asked what has be-
i come of the association of nations proIs-
iScd BY Mr. HardingE" While the league
! covenant was rejected by Mr.. Harding
he offered a ubstitute-association of
nations. Pro-league Republicans, includ-
ing Secretaries Hughes and Hoover,
Joined in the statement that a vote for
Mr.. Harding meant a vote for an asso-
citation of nations.
There is every reason to believe that
Mr.. Harding considers his work in that
direction completed. He has announced
the formula-not an association of ma
tionS but association with nations. This
means an occasional conference of pow
erS who shall make treaties between
them. The four-power treaty is one of
! them. Nothing. however, has been done
in conference with European powers
with reference to economic matters and
the Democrats, of whom many helped
to ratify the four-power pact. viii in
sist that an ENHANCEMENT over insular
rights in the Pacific 1000 miles away is
a good precedent for similar engage
ments 5000 miles across the Atlantic.
international Cooperation Needed.
Since the 1920 campaign, many things
have happened pointing to the need of
international cooperation. Mr. Cox viii
continue TO urge that entrance into the
league of nations was the right formula.
Others will say America should have
attended the Genoa conference. And on
top of all this President Harding is get
ting ready to join the PREPARATIONS com
mission and to have America participate
in a trade and economic conference to be
summoned after Genoa. The original
.'irTeconcilableS' viii resist these steps
If Mr. Harding follows their Will, the
campaign of 1924 viii undoubtedly see
the issue of international cooperation
brought to the fore. If Mr.. Harding by
1924 has brought the United States into
the councils of world powers and has
gotten results. his defenders will insist
that he has accomplished as much. il
not more than by rigid formula such
as the league covenant provided.
The significant thing is that Governor
Cox's campaign for international coop
GRAFTON has been begun two years in adj
vance of the next presidential cam
Z paign. No less n horizon than Senator
Borah says sentiment among the Renub
licans has grown in favor of entering
the league of nations and he accuses Sec
\ retarieS Hughes and Hoover of work
ing still toward that end Some of the
practical politicians among the Demo
Gratis on Capitol Hill wish Governor
Cox had waited until after the congress
sionai elections and started things with
the result in Democratic stock expected
to materialize at the polls this year but
friends of Mr. Cox say the Democrats
have been silent too long already and
that political fights are never won by
waiting too long to rouse public opinion