Evening star., 1937-02-14

wv johnson standing side by
side to lead the fight on
the Presidents revision of the Su-
preme Court, echoes of the great
Senate battle against the League of
Nations sound again in Congress.
Then, as now. a Democratic Presi-
dent. called dictator" and 'usurper"
by his opponents, presented to the
country an issue of the gravest con-
stitutional significance. Then, as
now Though for a different reason),
the Senate was regarded as the only
obstacle to the success of the Pres
ident' plan. And Borah and John
son were among the leaders of the
opposition.
Fourteen other members Of the
present Senate took part in that COM
bat in 1919. Henry F. Ashurst, JOS
eph T. Robinson, Pat Harrison, Key
Pittman. Peter G. Gerry, Ellison D.
Smith, Kenneth D. McKellar, Nor
ris Sheppard and William H. King
voted for the Wilson League, and
will be called on to vote on the
Roosevelt court. David I. Walsh, Ar
thur Capper. Frederick Hale, George
w. Norris, Charles L. McNary-with
Borah and Johnson-voted against
the league. And to make the paral-
lei more striking, there is a John
H. Bankhead in the Senate now
whose father voted Wilson's way.
Robert La Toilette, whose father
took the opposite stand and a Henry
Cabot Lodge whose grandfather
shared with Borah and johnson the
leadership of Wilson's opponents.
Public Favored League.
In the first months of 1919 public
sentiment in this country was al
most unanimously in favor of the
principle of a league to establish
peace. Such opposition as existed
was formless. unfocused, restrained
by the prestige of Wilson and the
emotions of the war. But in the Sem
ate there were many who felt that
the legislative branch had been
sighted in the negotiations at Paris.
Wilson had taken no Senators with
him to the peace conference and but
one Republican, Henry White, who
was hardly considered such by other
members of the party.
Senate Republicans felt that this
was an abuse of the presidential
power, particularly in view of the
verdict of the electorate the pre-
ceding November, when large ma
jorities were chalked up by the Re-
publicans, in face of Wilson's plea
for a Democratic Congress. There
was seething resentment in Congress
which came to the surface as soon
as the first draft Of the league COW
enant was flashed to the United
States.
In vain Wilson cabled, asking that
congressional comment be withheld
until he could return to this country
to explain the covenant. On February
19 Senator Miles Poindexter of WASH
ington opened the ball with a speech
in which he called the League "a sur
render by the Government of the most
essential, vital rights of the people"
He was followed two days later by
Borah, who termed the covenant Eng
lands greatest diplomatic victory.
Without the sacrifice of its predomi.
nant navy, said the Idaho Senator,
without giving up its control of the
seas, the British Empire had obtained
q guarantee Of all its colonial pos
sessions.
Opposition Becomes Crystallized.
Though Borah had not been the first
in the field with condemnation Of the
League, he was the first to make plain
his absolute hostility to any sort Of
world superstate. He refused in ad-
vance to attend the dinner to which
Wilson had invited the members Of
the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee, and promised that he would
carry the fight to the people.
Wilson landed at Boston on Febru-
ary "a to find opposition to his treaty
rapidly crystallizing under the lash Of
the senatorial spokesmen. He painted
a grim portrait of the fate of the
world if Americas ESSAY in gener-
osity" were followed by withdrawal.
THE arrangements of the present
peace cannot stand a generation" ne
prophesied, unless they are guaran-
teeds by the united forces Of the civ
ilized world. And If we do not guar
antee them, cannot you see the pic
ture?"
Wilson met the Foreign Relations
Committee on February 26, and en-
deavored to answer their searching
questions on the covenant. But the
result of his attempt was to be seen
In the speech Of Henry Cabot Lodge,
thu chairman Of the coumittoe. two