The evening world., 1922-03-25
Senate Approval of Four
Power Pact Sets Precedent
for Ending Isolation.
HARDING FREE TO ACT.
Genoa Invitation Refused Only
Till Treaty Powers Were
Proved.
By David Lawrence
Especial Correspondent Of The Eve.
ming Worldly

WASHINGTON. March 25 Copy
right. 1929 Ratification OF the four
power treaty abolishing the Anglo.
Japanese alliance on tho ono hand
and formally placing the United States
in the Pacific League of Nations has
given decided impetus to tho growing
movement for more international CO.
operation instead OF national isolation.
Tho group in the American Senate
which has insisted that the United
States could get along without polt-
cal involvement with other nations
was found to be less than one third,
so that President Harding now can
count upon n two-thirds vote in any
proposals he may make for closer un-
derstanding with other nations.
The four-power treaty vote is "a
big precedent. Democrats and Repub-
licans who voted for 1t cannot con-
sistently change their position when
Mr.. Harding. for example, proposes
that tho United States become a mem
ber OF tho Reparations Commission TO
safeguard American rights in Europe.
The vote in favor of American CO.
operation in questions arising seven
thousand miles away from one coast
line is considered ample justification
for a similar vote in favor of CO.
operation in maintaining American
rights three thousand miles from the
other coast line.
Friends of the League OF Nations
plainly are happy over the result.
They see the Harding Administration
going through a process of evolution
| on foreign policy which will lead TO
bigger and broader International ac-
| ton.
While it is true, for instance, that
the United States found fault with
the programme of the Genoa Eco
nomic and Financial Conference, de-
claring some OF the items In 1t were
political instead of economic, the
fact Is the American Government did
not want to go to Genoa until It had
demonstrated to the world that the
treaties negotiated at the Washing.
ton Arms Conference could be rati-
fled.
Another exhibition of Senate rcsls
tance to a treaty signed by an Amer
lean Chief Executive was feared anC
administration officials used almos
the same language in referring t
such a possible consequence as die
Woodrow Wilson after he came bacl
from Paris.
There are Republicans and Demo
Gratis who somehow feel that Americt
has vindicated herself before tn
world in standing by contract mad
by the Constitutional Executive. T.
that extent they admit that the Sen
a ute performance after the Versatile
Treaty, while technically constitu
tionai and perhaps thoroughly un
E derstood in America, was morally EN-
r barrassing to American influence an
I Is still the subject of nl-feeling Il
. Europe, where the alliance made o.
April 7. 1917. between the Unite
States and the Allied Powers wa
welcomed as a departure from Ameri
o can traditional policy Of no alliance
with Europe.
% Although the Senate has adopte
II reservation proposed by Senate
s Brandegee stating that the -Four
n Power pact is not an alliance an
does not commit tho United State
to armed force, there are few Demo
~ Gratis who believe the League of NG
tions was a commitment to arme
action. They think il was just {
flexible and gave as much freedo
- of action as the Four Power pact.
, Indeed, Democratic support of Il
Four-Power treaty was based large
4 on the argument that the Four-Pow
Il treaty was not inconsistent with 4
League OF Nations covenant and tn
Article II. Of the Pacific treaty
hardly different in essential partic
Al lars from Article Y. of the covenaT
So the Republicans are happy tn
ID they have put through the Arst t
OF treaty of world wide import and I
n, Democrats are secretly joyful that I
IN Republicans have become commit
,ir to international cooperation as dt
initely as the phraseology of I
nd Four Power Treaty indicates.
cd To the impartial observer, the RI
re ord OF the United States Senate on
,al Four Power Treaty Is hardly dif'
al ent from the votes on the Versail
ne agreement. In the case of the lat
its pact there always was a two-thi
vote ready to ratify the Nersail
re, Treaty with reservations. Reput
gn cans blame the Wilson leadersh
gn which was uncompromisingly agai
;ed the Lodge reservations on the grol
'ue that they nullihed the pact.
President Harding has felt that
BrandeEee reservation was unneC
sary, but he submitted TO the ju
~ ment OF the party leaders, who
sisted that without the reservat
the Four-Power pact was lost. i
e"' matter of history that practici
OoO all the Democratic leaders urged
ms Wilson TO take the Lodge reser
W tions and secure American meml
,cb ship in the League of Nations.
I,st Wilson believed the election of
900 would decide the issue in his IA
t.Et lA9T q 4