The Alaska daily empire., 1922-03-11
A Return to Common Sense Is About Due.
(NeW York Post. ]

It is easy enough to be a cheerful Democrat in the Senate nowadays. Here is Lodge affirm
 ing that the four-Power treaty is untanted by the slightest obligation part to employ force at the behest of any conference may enter into. And Democrats who remember how Senator Lodge found Article of the League Covenant just reeking with obligations and other goblins that would get if we didn't watch out can hardly be blamed for gloatng. Here is President Harding announcing that he can not give the Senate detailed record of negotia- tions entering into the fourPower treaty for the good that such records exist; for the fur ther good that if the records existed would not be to the public interest to publish them and for the final excellent that negotiations and con versations do not matter anyhow long as the re- suit is embodied in treaty whose meaning is plain enough. But once more Democrats in a position to point the geefu, ironc finger. Time has brought its bit of revenge to the Senate minority.
 But, after all, it is much sounder ambition to be useful Democrat than satrically gleefu Demo- crat. The Democratic Senators have opportunity to serve at the same time the best interests of their party, of the nation, and of sense. It is their opportunity to make an the childish comma grubbing and goblin chasing and label pastng that have made joke of Americas conception h. ternatonal relations It is time that learned to talk common about this business secret diplomacy" The war wiped out many old labels, but it has given plenty of ones, and secret dipo- macy" is of these. People who ought to know better, and who matter of fact in their heart hearts do know better, profess discern the evils
 and pers of the old diplomacy in every private
 versat1on between negotiators, in every unrecorded flash of temper in diplomatic debate in anything is net spread before the world in the reporters story or in the official communique.
 And this they profess to believe in spite every day experience in every field of human interest; in spite of the fact that things get done in mass meeting until the way has been in pri- vate; in spite of the fact that the arch-enemes of secret dipomcy the Bolshevsts of Moscow, have negotiated their treaties in private in spite of the fact that solution of Ireands troubles was made possible only by private conversation in Downing Street Sane will profess believe that they are being let in for all of hideous dangers un- attained,
 It is not question of secret treaties because for jus there be secret treaties It is not ques- ton of jokers and niggers in the woodpe, because the Senate can safeguard treaty by nterpreta
 tons and reservations. If Senators afraid of be ing committed by treaties to the force let them declare the opposite in formal reservation If Senators think that treaties too narrow or toe broad too obscure let them remedy the fault by formal action. But it is childish to pass judgment on the four-Power treaty because do not know what Bafour said to Hughes at luncheon or what
 Hughes said to KatO after dinner. This is the kind of secret diplomacy that will never be eliminated from the conduct of human affairs. There is nc danger in such diplomacy long it has no power to commit us to anything do not want to be con-
 mitted to- Why Senators who have the power to safeguard themselves in every way should still be
 frantcally searching for burglars under the bed is ncomprehensible. That state of mind is the joint product of phrase -mongerng and partisanship And we must get rid of both if this country is tc play manly role in world affairs