The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-03-11
DEMOCRATS
ARE PUZZLED
over TREATY
Refusal to Ratify Pacific Pact
Might Wreck Conference
Treaty One of Beneficent
Body.
SEVERAL WAYS OPEN
BY MARK SULLIVAN

WASHINGTON, March 11-No one
can fail to sympathize with conscien-
tious Democrat called upon to deter
mine whether ne shall vote for or
against the four power treaty.
1t must be conceded that il this
treaty stood alone, any senator, Re-
publican or Democrat, would be free
to vote upon 1t according to his con-
victions, and that the convictions of
most Democrats, as well as the con-
victions of many Republicans, would
be IN opposition.
The facts that make decision diff
cult are largely extraneous to the
treaty itself, These facts are that this
particular treaty is one of body of
treaties which as a whole are benefi-
cent; that the refusal of the senate
to ratify this one treaty might justify
some Of the other nations in refusing
to ratify those other portions OF the
results of the Washington conference
for which we are all most eager. es-
pecially the treaty for limitation of
armament; and finally, that If the
United States should now, for sec
ond time. wreck the results of great
world conference, the effect would be
10 destroy the confidence of the world
in America, to make the world doubt
whether it is worth while to try to
have international understandings
with the United States, and to des-
troy in the beginning this whole bene-
ficent theory of trying to arrange in
ternational matters through mutual
conference.
Nation Favors Pact
The country as whole is at this
moment overwhelmingly in favor of
the ratification of the fourpower pact.
Senators who make it a business to
fest the sentiment of the country know
this.
Even those Democratic newspapers
which favored the League of Nations
and whose faithfulness to Democratic
doctrine is unquestioned. are strongly
in favor of ratifying the four-power
treaty. Irreconcileable Republican pa
pers who opposed the League of Ma
tions to the limit OF their energy are
in favor of the present treaty.
Other Republican papers which fav-
ored the League of Nations, with res
ervations, are also now in favor of the
present treaty. Throughout the coun-
try the sentiment in favor of ratifica-
tion is indubitable. This is the factor
which probably will ultimately deter
mine the decision.
Failure to ratify the four-power
treaty would result in very general
resentment. both against the senate
as whole and against the party
which will be responsible. There
would be a certain amount of doubt
about the four-power treaty standing
alone. but as to the four-power treaty
considered as part of the general re-
suits of the Washington conference,
there is an overwhelmingly favorable
attitude.
That portion of public opinion which
Is outspoken against the four-powe
treaty and against the results of the
Washington conference altogether, is
almost negligible. What there is of it
has little weight in congress.
Three Possible Courses.
Viewed strictly as party matter,
the Democrats could base their oppo-
sition on a fundamental principle, and
that principle would go far toward
iustifying them in opposing ratifica-
lions. In the management of Amer
ica's relations with the rest of the
world, there are three possible
courses. ...
They are:
First. Isolation-Refusal to become
q party to any league or alliance
whatever.
Second. To enter a universal alli-
ance taking in all nations. BY this is
meant the League of Nations, or an
equivalent Association of Nations
Third A system of partial alliances
becoming party to one group here
and another group there.
OF these three methods, the first
has now been rejected by both par
ties. The Democrats rejected isola.
tion when they favored the League of
Nations. The Republicans have now
taken definite and final step away
from isolation by proposing and en-
dorsing the fourpower treaty. The
policy of isolation is gone.
Second Method.
As to the second method, this is the
one to which the Democratic party as
party is committed. If they were tc
act one strictly party grounds, with a
act on strictly party grounds, with a
view of maintaining the integrity of an
important policy initiated by thei1
party, they would be justified in refus
ing to become identified with any
policy in foreign relations inconsist
ent with the League of Nations.
At this point arises the question
whether the louT-poWer treaty is or Is
not inconsistent with the League oi
Nations. On this question there are
two positions. In both positions the
wish is father to the thought. Most
of those who favored the League Of
Nations claim that the four-powel
treaty is one step toward our entrance
into it, or into an equivalent "associa
tions of nations Another very con
siderable group insists exactly the con
trary.
They insist that our ratification o.
the four-power treaty will be step il
direction away from the League O
Nations. What is more serious, they
insist that it will be an irrevocablt
step. They claim that this four-powel
treaty will be followed by similar
J, group treaties in other parts of the
world, and that we will become par
ty to the building up of series O
group alliances of exactly the kind tha