The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-02-08
SENATE WILL
RATIFY ARMS
PARLEY ACTS
No Opposition Expected From
Upper Body When Confer
ence Report is Made by
Delegation.
WASHINGTON HAPPY
by MARK SULLIVAN

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. S.-No-
body knows what the senate will do
about the conference treaties, but any
prediction based on ordinary pro-
cesses of judgment would say that the
treaties will be ratified. President
Harding is going to present them to
the senate just as soon as the Amer
ican delegation to the conference can
make out its formal report. That
ought to be ready before the end OF
the present week.
The whole atmosphere of Washing
ton is one of happiness over the re-
suits of the conference. 1t is true
that this is psychological condition
that can readily be overcome. We
were all happy about the league of
nations when it first came out.
At the beginning probably seven out
of every ten voters in the country
were for the league, and it was only
most determined and highly organ
lied opposition that changed that men,
tai attitude.
No Analogy Now
But there is no analogy between the
league of nations fight and the present
situation. 1t must be remembered
that long before the league of nations
was presented to the senate, more
than third of the senate had pledged
itself to opposition to it in the form
in which it was made.
There is nothing like that now.
There are a few irreconcilables, who
are as irreconcilable as ever to any
thing that departs from isolation for
America. But several of the irrecon-
cilable senators say now that as to
the present treaties they have so far
maintained an open mind and will
not decide until the debate in the SEN
ate gets under way.
This hesitancy about dissent is
very different from the position the
same men took in advance of the
league of nations decision. Senator
Borah early in the conference an
nounced that he was going to judge of
its results by what it did about sub
marines.
Drew Teeth of Submarine.
1t is true that the submarine is
one of the subjects as to which, in
degree, the final performance of the
conference did not live up to the
original Hughes plan. But it is clear
that this picture was due to one re-
calcitrant nation, France.
So far as Hughes and America are
concerned, they actually changed
their attitude during the course of
the conference, and changed in the
direction that was demanded by Sen.
ator Borah and a large section of
American opinion. Before the con-
ference was over Hughes and the
Americans acted as if they were quite
willing to outlaw the submarine en-
tirely.
Has No Complaint
Also it is to be remembered that
while the French prevented any
agreement to limit the number of sub
marines, it is also true that the con-
ference adopted series of resolu-
tions, written by Mr. Root, which
practically drew the teeth of the sub
marine. All in all. Senator Borah can
feel that his attitude of yigilant crit
icism has already produced the bene-
ficial results he aimed at
This whole matter of the potential
menace of opposition to ratification by
the senate, if looked upon rightly. was
really helpful to the conference. II
was steady pressure that caused
various elements in the conference to
yield on points on which they might
otherwise have been stubborn.
No Minority Opposition
For the present there is nothing to
justify any expectation of organized
party opposition to the treaties on the
part of the Democrats. One of the
most dependable of the Democratic
senators tells me he doesn't anticipate
much formal opposition to anything
except the four power treaty. There
is nothing in the story that Ex-Presi
dent is leading or soliciting or stimu
iating opposition to the treaties.
Wilson's attitude is rather one o.
dignified patience and tolerance. Per
sons who can safely be taken to re
fleet his views say that if the league
of nations is the right way and the
only way, then ultimately the worlC
will come around to it. But if in thu
meantime, the Republican party, Of
anybody else, can find better way
to make the world better they SHOULD
be permitted to make the effort with
out nagging or obstruction. - Copy
right 1922 by The New York Evenin.