Evening star., 1949-07-22
82-to-13V Vote on Paci
Will Make Profound
Impression on World
Historic Change in Policy
By U. S. Promulgated by
Provisions of Treaty

ny y. ,. IIoHlui9uteo "
Provisions of Treaty
By David Lawrence
Although for several months
the Senate had been expected to
ratify the North Atlantic pact and
it had been estimated that only a
mere handful of votes was likely
to be cast against it. nevertheless
the 82-to-13 vote will make pro-
found impression throughout the
world.
For there was much truth in
the arguments raised by the op-
ponents of the pact-namely. that
q historic change in policy for the
United States has been promul-
gated by the provisions of the
document. The reasoning OF the
opposition was much the same as
that heard in 1919 when the
covenant of the League Of Nations
was rejected because it failed to
get two-thirds vote in the Sen
ate.
It is interesting to recall that
there was a demand for "reserva-
tions" then, too. and the Demo-
cratic administration in power op-
posed them as being amend
ments" to the treaty that would
have to be resubmitted for further
negotiation. Some administration
supporters did think that Inter
pretive" reservations were in
order, but the coalition of op-
ponents of the league in both
parties was too strong to permit
even this compromise, inasmuch
as President Wilson was cool to
an Interpretation of kind that
would have to be made the subject
of further negotiations.
Pact Accomplished Fact.
The leader of the reservation"
group was Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge, grandfather of the young
Senator from Massachusetts, who
now stands in the forefront OF
the supporters of the North At
lantic pact.
Today the new treaty is an &C
compiished fact only because the
Republican party, unlike its course
after World War I, refused to
make a political issue of foreign
policy. The work of Senator VAN
denberg, Republican. in behalf OF
the North Atlantic pact has been
conspicuous, and it is significant
that only II members of the Re-
publican party voted against rati-
flcation.
; The North Atlantic pact carries
with it the implied obligation to
work with the other II nations
to defend themselves collectively
in the event of an attack by an
aggressor. In some respects this
Is not unlike the famous nom
aggression pact, known as the
Kellogg BRAND Treaty. which the
Republican controlled Congress
passed in the '20's. But the North
Atlantic pact is specific and calls
into action a collective group OF
specified nations who undertake
to defend one another.
The pact in reality says what
might have been said after World
War I. It's adoption then might
even have prevented World War
II. Many governments in the
world and particularly that of
Germany had the mistaken notion
that the United States would re-
main neutral in the event of a
second world war. In fact, the
neutrality statutes passed by
Congress plainly indicated such a
course.
What the North Atlantic pact
does is to say now to the whole
world that the might of the United
States will be used instantly
against any nation which attacks
any of the IL countries. This
means that an attack on Britain
or on France or on Norway or
Belgium or Italy or Holland or on
the other signatories, individually
or collectively. means war.
Aggression Underlined.
There may be some doubt as to
what constitutes an act Of ag-
gression or an attack. but this
is purposely left underlined so as
to allow for negotiated settlements
of incidents" or episodes that
need not provoke war. Even when
war is imminent. it becomes the
duty of each country to decide for
itself, through it's congress or
parliament, how much military
help it will furnish. Today. when
the war scare has to a large ex-
tent died down, it may well be
that members of the Senate who
voted for the treaty will differ as
to the quantity of military aid
that need be furnished to bolster
the armament of the countries
which signed the treaty. It could
conceivably happen that, when
each of the countries builds up
adequate armament, there would
be no further aid rendered in
peacetime by our military estab-
lishment.
What the pact does is insure
immediate consultation and ac-
tion against a real attack. 1t is
intended as a warning and hence
what the Senate has just done is
to say, in effect, that the United
States undertakes and assumes
her full responsibility in the world
to prevent war of aggression and
will utilize her entire military
and economic strength to defend
the victims of aggression.
; It is a tremendous step but. with
two world wars so recent in she
memory Of people living today,
it is a step that might better have
come 80 years ago, as some Of us
urged, when Woodrow Wilson
sought to establish system Of