Evening star., 1922-03-18
SLIGHT LEAD SEEN
FOR 4-POWER PACT
Treaty to Go Through by Mar.
gin of 8 to 5 Votes-Wn-
son Stays Out.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The four-power pact will be ratified
oy margain of from three to five
votes.
nouncement from Woodrow Wilson
against the Pacific treaty will not
materialize, though it is known he is
opposed absolutely to the principle of
the treaty.
This information. obtained from
democratic sources today, amounts to
1t concession that the treaty will be
ratified, though. of course, In such a
close situation change of a vote or
two may alter the whole aspect of
things.
The attempt to draw Woodrow Will
son into the controversy is one Of the
interesting phases of the treaty fight
which has not yet been fully dis
"ailed among democratic senators as
to whether the former President
should express himself on the subject
tnd assist in defeating ratification.
Some democrats have felt that Mr..
Wilson ought to speak out. Others
that the former President cannot
change the situation in the Senate
and that his public speeches are. a
record Of his attitude anyhow.
silence Divides Friends.
One or Two senators have had an
opportunity lately of learning Mr..
Wilson's views. but they have failed
to tell associates what to do, and the
consensus of opinion on the demo-
cratic side of the Senate is that the
iormer President has decided to keep
hands off his party colleagues and let
them decide the question for them
>elves. MIR. Wilson's silence has had
III t.t
Some of them, like Senator John
s,narp Williams OF Mississippi, are
;,oinS to vote tor the four-power
treaty because, in their opinion. it is
an alliance. Others will Vote against
IL because it appears to be an alliance
with L few powers as against other
hations. They favored an alliance
uf league of all nations, but not a
special combination, in which others
could not even join If their interests
were affected. Senator Robinson of
Arkansas, democrat, sought by
amendment to provide that other pow
ers could join, but the proposal was
Voted down.
Outside the Senate. too, Mr.. Wilson's
friends are divided on the subject.
raymond Z. Fosdlck, who was to
have been American representative
on the svcretariat OF the league of
ndtiohs if the United States had be-
come a member under the Wilson ad-
ih.nistration. says the four-power
pact is in harmony with the league.
Norman H. Davis. who was to have
been Mr.. Wilson appointee to the
separations aommission. feels that
the four-powcr pact is the old type Of
alliance and is directly opposed to the
Idea of the league of nations.
The best Information available in
Washington from reliable sources as
to Mr.. Wilson's attitude is that he
feels today exactly as he did in De
c.-mber. 1918, when. in Manchester.
tngiHnd. he reveled a broadside at
the European idea of regional alli-
;iiiccs. He said OIL that occasion:
Opposes Balance of Power.
you know that the United States
has always felt from the very begin
ming of her history that she must
of connection with European politics,
and 1 want to say very frankly to you
that she is not now interested in Eu-
ropean politics. But she Is interested
in the partnership of right between
America and Europe.
IF the future had nothing for US
but a new attempt to keep the world
ut right poise by a balance of
power, the United States would take
no interest. because she will join no
combination of power which is not a
combination of all of US. She is not
interested merely in the peace of
T'urone. but in the peace Of the
world
nlr. Wilson's views on the four
power pact now pending are not
unsympathetic with the object sought
to be attained. namely, the preserva-
tion of the peace Of the Pacific. To
that extent the four-power pact is
in harmony with the league of ma
tions. but he has feared that the
method of grouping a few powers in
any combination. designed to protect
them against the aggression of an
other power or group of powers,
would lead only to the establishment
of rival ententes and alliances such
as have divided the world and brought
on wars in the past.
Copyright. 1927