Milford chronicle., 1949-04-22
North atlantic Security

North Atlantic Security
sphere win be no Senator Henry
! Cabot Lodge Sr. to organize
and lead a Republican opposition
to. the ratification by the senate
Of our part in the North Atlantic
Security Pact. as there was for
President Wilson'S League of Ma
tions. Such opposition as may de-
velop win not be along party lines.
Senator Vandenburg is for ratigy-
ing the pact. AS the molder Of Re-
publican foreign policies, he win
lead the party away from opposition
rather than make an effort to pre-
vent ratification.
There will be some opposition.
but it win be individual rather than
party. Some members of the SEN
ate win follow the advice Of the
immortal Washington, and vote
against what they consider for
eign entanglements. There win be
several such senator's representing
both parties, but there win not be
/ a sufficient number to prevent
ratification, and they win not at
tempt any radical methods to pre-
vent that ratification.
II was only brief 30 years
ago when Senator Lodge, as tine
Republican foreign relations
leader, prevented the ratifica-
tiOn of the League Of Nations
treaty. what might have hap
pened had this country taken
its place at the council table
Of that international Organiza-
tiOn is anybOdy's guess. IS
/ was in Europe when the Armiss
: tice that ended that struggle was
signed. A few days before that
t EVENT. believe it was on Novem-
: .ber 5-I was one of party Of Amer
] lean newspapermen in the Grand
. hotel in Paris. Charles Wheeler,
i then a member of the staff Of the
r Paris edition of the Chicago Trib-
r une, joined the group The Paris
J, Tribune had just received flash"
y saying that when the Armistice
5 was signed, President Wilson would
It head the American peace delega-
Il ton in Paris.
d 1 said to that little group that
h should the President do that he
4, would be making grave mistake
IS that would cost him the national
and world leadership he then en-
joyed; that if he would name
strong bipartisan peace delegs-
II ton and would stay in Washington
- - to direct the activities of the Amer
i ican delegation from there, be
- could dominate the peace confer
ence and put through the idealis-
- tic international organization he
# was insisting upon. and others IA
10 the group agreed.
h President Wilson did not stay :
n in Washington; he did not send,
er or lead, bipartisan peace del-
in egation. The Republican-cOn-
N. trOIIed senate had no part in
of the peace negotiations. In the
ly- end the League Of Nations. as
lr- it was written into the peace
ro- treaty, was only portion Of
ep- the Wilson dream. It was re-
cal sented by the Republicans be-
in cause they had no place, or
W. part, in its negotiation. POliti-.
he cal rancOr defeated il in SO far
'as as American participation was
cal concerned. In the end we made
ers a separate peace with Ger
rs. many.
All that is water over the dam
What might have been can be onl
a guess. Personally I believe tn
League of Nations would hav
worked had it included the voice
and influence Of America; that on
voice and influence would have pre-
vented the Italian invasion Of Eth
opia and would have prevented tn
aggression of Hitler, and the SCI
ond world war.
President Truman has not mad
the errors that caused Presidel
Wilson'S failure. True, he has NJ
: had the same opportunities for e
rors, but instead he has encourage
and promoted bipartisan col
: sideration of our foreign polio
= both Republicans and Democra
have had part in forming TIL
. policy. AS a result, there win
: no party organization to oppose Il
\ ratification of the North Atlant
= Pact. Whatever opposition the
may be will be that Of individua
who are convinced that it is be
air. for us to continue to follow Was
ore ington's advice against ''foreii
ed. entanglements."
is Whether our ratification Of tn
,rg. pact will lead to peace or to war c;
ller be only guess. My guess wou
the be, on the side of peace. Russia W
are hesitate to start a conflict S
fell could not feel sure of winning.
the we do not ratify we encourage RI
an sia to continue her process Of gC
ides bling up one after another
European and Asiatic natiol
Is the army playing fair with
reserve officers who have been
has active duty during and since
ons. war? Judging from personal oil
pact cations, l would say these offic,
,ha are not being fairly treated. I p
90 sonally know reserve officers "