The New York herald., 1922-03-26

senate Behind the Times.
The war, 1t seems, and the changed
conditions Of the world have left the
psychology of the Senate untouched.
1t is still thinking, ! am told. in terms
of old watchwords that have no real
response in the minds Of intelligent
people, who see the necessity of fac
ing the realities of the after-war
world and adapting American tradi-
tions of isolation and self-dependence
to the new needs of cooperation in
world reconstruction.
Over and over again have been
told that the Senate is at least twenty
FIVE years behind the advance Of
American thought, and If this Is so 1t
explains the contradiction between the
boldness of the individual American
mind and the timidity--as IL seems to
me--of American leadership. Take,
for instance, the question of the Genoa
conference. / can honestly say that
| have met no American citizen up
and down the country who did not ex-
press the belief that the United States
ought to participate In that consulta-
ton of nations on the economic prob
lens of our present state. j have not
met a single American who would give
me any reason at all why the United
States, having called the Washington
conference, should refuse to accept
the invitation to the other fellows
party.
Or at least they gave only one
reason and that was the accepted fact
that "the Senate wouldn't stand for
it," and that they would knife" Har-
ding and Hughes IL they went step
further in international affairs. Yet
am convinced personally that all the
way from New York to San Francisco
the mass mind of the people. or at
least the mass mind of the men and
women who represent the active, in
telligent, constructive and educated
thought of the United States, were
ready for a leadership which would
participate and indeed prevail in that
conference, which is one doomed to
failure in its larger aspects because
Of the participation Of the United
States.
How Is It. then that there is such
political action? / think it is that
the Senate. is out OF ouch with the
ebb and flow Of thought In this grear
people, is not quickly responsive to its
moods and convictions. and Is cast.
iron in its allegiance to outworn
creeds. It Is not calling to the present
and looking with clear vision to the
future, but staring back to the old
historic past and expressing the
philosophy of ancient ghosts. Also the
individual Senators, with some ex-
ceptions. are not representative Of the
best quality in the nation. socially. in
tellectually or In spiritual characters,
but are professional politicians who
think more Of their careers than oi
national needs and duties.
EngIand's Advantage Over u. $.
In England the mass Of people have
this advantage over the American peo-
pie, that they can overturn a gov
ernment more rapidly and easily in
spite OF the power of the machine. No
Prime Minister in England can last
long If his Government is out of touch
with public opinion and both the
House of Commons and the hereditary
House OF Lords are composed Of men
who are closely representative of con-
temporary ideas and interests. because
of their position in national life.
In the United States the President
is limited in his leadership by the
measure in which the Senate will sup
port him and must lag behind his most
advanced convictions and his most