Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1919 — TREATY SENTIMENT [ARTICLE]

TREATY SENTIMENT

While the senate was spending (months in considering the treaty, there was every evidence that the country favored ratification of the pact with whatever reservations were necessary to make it effective and to safeguard the country’s interests. Few organizations of any kind held formal meetings without an expression on the subject, and by far ithe greater number of these expressions were in favor of ratification —some of them in favor of ratification of the treaty without conditions, many with sane suggestions 1 concerning reservations and none in favor of any action that would send the document back to the peace conference. The possibility of sending the treaty back to the conference for revision passed long ago. The other great nations —Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan—have ratified the treaty as it was written,

as have many of the smaller nations. Its going into effect waited only on the action of this country. Now that this country has acted negatively, there is no further reason for delay, and advices from Paris indicate that provision is being made to put the treaty into effect Dec. 1. If this is done then a league of nations will exist, and we shall be outside It together with Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey and Mexico. Many Americans who helped, either directly or indirectly, to fight the war will hardly be pleased at the company in which they find themselves; but ithe situation will doubtless be regarded as satisfactory by Berlin and Mexico.

Now is the time if the people want a treaty peace with Germany, and want this country to be a member of the league of nations, for them to make, their sentiments clear to the men who represent—or misrepresent—them in Washington. It may be taken for granted that the treaty is not dead unless the people are willing to regard it as dead- Even Mr. Lodge admits that the president can withdraw it and submit it to the senate again at the regular session which will begin Monday, December 1. If this is not used (there will be some other if the people make a determined demand for reconsideration. The opinion of competent observers is that the senators have misjudged the public’s attitude. If 'this opinion is well founded the senate’s mistake can be easily corrected by the people that have been misjudged. Every man and woman in the country has an interest in this subject, and should have an opinion on it; and none of them should hesitate to make that opinion known to the national legislators. The resolutions heretofore adopted by organizations may have been overlooked by the senators who were busy with their political ambitions and squabbles. Further action might be taken, or copies of resolutions already passed might be sent to Washington. At the same 'time It will be well for the ad-

ministration to be informed that the original treaty was not cast of a material so inflexible and unchangeable that it can not be modk fled by Judicious reservations eluci darting America’s understanding of the document and attitude toward it. If the citizens of the United States want the country ito be a member of the league of nations —and past expressions give every indication that they do—such a membership is theirs for the demanding, if the demanding is made strong enough.—lndianapolis News (Rep.)