Evening star., 1940-01-20

suffrage Tor women. he naQ sup"
ported it in his own State, but when |
national suffrage was proposed he |
fought it, calling 1t State problem.
Women in his State revolted and
went after him at the next election.
That was 1918 and Senator Borah
was so certain he had lost that he
started planning new career. But
he came through-and continued on
his independent way.
Victory Over Wilson Biggest Thrill. |
His triumph over the Wilson post
war plans he considered his greatest
thrill. The President had come back
from Europe with his plans for the
League and the Versailles Treaty.
Senator Borah organized the early
opposition to the idea. He not only
opposed Wilson's plan but the
compromise" offered by Senator
Lodge. Time after time, during this
debate, he took the floor to wreck
various compromise schemes that
had been worked out.
Then, on November 10, 1919, the
Senate gathered for a vote. AS he
recalled the event:
"The galleries were jammed with
spectators tingling with expecta-
ton. Every Senator was on the
floor. The rear of the chamber was
packed with members of the House.
Such an air of excitement I've never
known.
"The issue for me was clear-cut. I
thoroughly opposed any proposition
that would entangle us in European
affairs. I was against the League,
against the treaty, against the
Lodge reservations"
Allied with Senator Borah were
Senators Hiram johnson OF Cali
fornia, Brandegee of Connecticut,
Mccormick of Illinois, Wadsworth
Of New York and Reed of Missouri.
Marshall, Unavailing Ally.
Above the tumult, in the chair, sat
Vice President Thomas Marshall
unavailing ally of his i'll friend In
the White House, who to the last
refused to brook any compromise
Time and again, Marshall tried te
circumvent the Lodge and Borah
factions, but his efforts proved
futile.
In this tense atmosphere rose
the grim, square-jawed WesterneI
to deliver his greatest speech. His
right hand rising and falling In hi
single gesture, his voice rising a!
he warmed up, he asked:
what is to be the result Of al
this?"
:. Then came his own thunderint
. reply:
il 1--WE are in the midst Of all th'
affairs Of Europe We have en-
tangled ourselves with all European
concerns. We have forfeited ant
surrendered once and for all th'
!: great policy of no entangling al
liances' upon which the strength
of this Nation has rested for IS
years.
|. 1T imperils what I conceive +
be the underlying, the very frs
!. principles of the Republic. I vii
, not, I cannot give up my belle
that America must be permitted t
live her own LIFE"
The Lodge reservations wer
brought to q vote and lost-51 t
Al. Then the Wilson treaty, an
! with it the League, went down, 5
!. to 2S. The Senate adjourned q
: II pm.
' Rejected Senate Leadership.
He declined President Harding
y entreaties to assume the Senat
o leadership, because he wanted t
preserve his right to indepndenc'
4 He started q one-man crusad
q against $50, 900 which was to be ap
e propriated for Harding's inaugura
!. tion-and won.
n Then began his crusade for dis
Y armament-and with 1t econom1
d adjustments. The disarmament, a
e unpopular issue at flrst, soon bt
came popular and he saw the 5-t-
d naval limitation put n force. amor