Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 November 1919 — THE SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE [ARTICLE]

THE SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE

Reservations now represent the second line of defense for the senatorial opponents of the league of

nations and the treaty of peace. They took their stand on amendments, but despite their heavy use of poison gas an,d incendiary weapons_racial and* religious issues among them —-they have been forced to retreat, with ranks broken and great rhetorical losses. Behind reservations now the Obstructionists are crouching, halt standing, half stooping, to facilitate their racing farther rearward When emergency presses. And back they must go; back to a final acceptance of the treaty and the league of nations as the people want it. There will be new bombardments from thesq enemies of the treaty. That is inevitable. They will deliver counter attacks and hurl oratorical bombs in vast numbers at the president and the other supporters of the treaty. But in the end they surrender their position on reservations as they have already withdrawn from their stand on amendments. Von Hindenburg made greatest drive —we learn from Ludendorff—when at last the conviction of ultimate defeat posssessed himSenator Lodge, putative leader of the Republican defeatists, was most truculent as he was on the point of falling back. These forces of futility fought for some 45 amendments. They compassed none. They now begin to battle for reservations.