Evening star., 1943-10-26

Then, as now, lV :
the phrases of David Lawrence.
resolutions were discussed and the
Senators, depending on their re-
spective points of view, were cau-
tious about the implications of this
or that phrase.
Back in 1915, William Howard
Taft organized the League to En-
force Peace. AS former President
of the United States who ap-
preached the matter without par
tisanship, his proposals we're ac-
claimed and from time to time vari-
Gus parts of his program were ap-
proved by Theodore Roosevelt and
Senator Lodge.
Then, when President Wilson took
up the idea and carried it to Paris
to be embodied in the peace treaty,
some of the Republican Senators
veered away from it. Again the
thought was expressed that the
treaty be signed first and the form
of world organization be left to some
future time. But Mr.. Wilson felt
that the making of worldwide
organization to preserve peace was
an imperative first step.
Opposition Develops.
Opposition came from Republican
quarters. Mr.. Wilson received con-
structive suggestions from William
Howard Taft and Elihu Root, the
leaders of the Republican party.
Every one Of the suggestions vas
put into the Covenant of the League
of Nations, but when Mr.. Wilson
returned from Paris he found an
organized opposition in the Senate.
The reservations which were Of
fered under the leadership of Sena-
tor Lodge we're of such a nature
that President Wilson thought they
nullified the League. The reserva-
tions would have required renego-
tiation with the other governments
and meant endless delay and per-
hsps the killing of the League Cove
nant. Mr.. Wilson agreed to what
he termed interpretive" reserva-
tons offered by Senator Hitchcock.
The Senate refused to ratify the
Covenant, the vote being just about
eight less than the needed two
thirds. This was in 1919 and 1920.
Finally came the presidential
campaign of 1920. Thirty-one Re-
publicans Of prominence, including
William Howard Taft, Elihu Root,
Charles Evans Hughes and George
w. Wickersham, signed statement
saying that a vote for Harding was
a vote for the League with the
Lodge reservations, and that if Gov.
Cox of Ohio were elected President,
he would insist on the League with
out these reservations.
Harding Changes Stand.
But when Mr.. Harding was elected
President-although he had twice
In the Senate voted for the League
of Nations Covenant with the Lodge
reserva tions-he refused to resub
NIT the Covenant, and it has never
been submitted for ratification since
then. BY thus turning on the in
Observation-Disclosures group of his
own party, Mr.. Harding adopted
the isolationist point of view.
The League of Nations, which was
to have been started with the United
States as charter member, found
itself without the most powerful
nation in the world as a member.
All through the Senate debates it
had been agreed that the league of
victors should form the nucleus Of
a world organization. Everything
that is being said this week was
said then.
The other. governments of the
world have since blamed the mis-
fortunes of the League and the
chaos in Europe on Americas alb
stention from a world organization.
The criticism was felt deeply by
President Hoover, who helped to
pronulgate the so-Called Kellogg
BRAND treaties, outlawing aggres-
sive war as an instrument of ma
tional policy Virtually all nations,
including America, signed those
treaties, but again America refused
to say specifically whether she would
come to the aid of the victims of
aggression.
Reich Order Grows.
Meanwhile, Germany's economic
situation became worse and worse,
and the consequences of her infla-
ton were such as to produce social
disorder, to remedy which Hitler
came into power and assumed die
tatorship. From 1888, when Hitler
took Office, warnings came regularly
to America that he was arming
Germany. Many billions of dollars
that were spent on the WPA pro-
gram here might have been spent
in building up Americas armament
While, fortunately, some of the
money was appropriated for that
purpose, the fact is that our ma
tional leadership in the executive
and legislative branches ignored the
rising power of Germany and the
prospects Of second world war.
Senator Taft, Republican, has
come out for a reconstructed League
of Nations. Senator Hatch, Demo-
crat, of New Mevico feels that the
League furnishes a framework for
future peace organization.
1t is not the resolutions which are
before the Senate which will COM
NIT America to definite program
of assisting in maintaining the
peace of the world, but definite
commitments in the form of specific