RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFEAT
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t was the design of Senator Lodge, from theoutset, to mutilate the Treaty and to frustratethe purposes of the Administration. And yetSenator Lodge, with the help of the irreconcil-ables, having torn the Treaty to tatters andthrown its fragments in the face of the world,has the effrontery to suggest, in his address atChicago, that the President blocked ratificationand postponed peace. 35 The trouble with the Treaty of Peace is thatit was negotiated by a Democratic President.(Applause) It is not difficult to assess the re-sponsibility for its defeat. The responsibilityrests, not upon its friends, but upon its enemies. The Foreign Relations Committee, imme-diately following the last election, was reorganiz-ed with a personnel consisting of the open foesof the Treaty. Amongst the number was SenatorBorah, who declared that he would not be for a League of Nations, were the Savior of mankind to advocate it. Senator Johnson, Senator Knoxand Senator Moses, whose hatred of the Presi-dent amounts to an obsession, were also mem-bers; and Senator Lodge was chairman. The Treaty was referred to the Committeethus studiously prepared for its hostile reception.The members of this committee adopted everysubterfuge to misrepresent the document whichthey were supposed to be considering as states-men. Deputations of foreign born citizens werebrought to Washington in an effort to color andexaggerate the impression of popular opposition. The Senate had even begun the discussion ofthe Treaty months before its negotiation was con-cluded, and did not terminate its debate untilnine months after the submission of the Treaty. % It took the Senate nearly three times as long tokill the Treaty by protracted debate and by con-fusing and nullifying amendments and reserva-tions as it took the representatives of the alliedgovernments to draft it. (Applause ) It was not the business of the President, whenhe brought this Treaty back from France, tojoin with Mr. Lodge and_ other Republicanleaders in their deliberate purpose to destroy it.Had he initiated, suggested or assented to chang-es which would have substantially altered its na-ture. it would have been a distinct breach of faithwith his associates of the Peace Council and aviolation of American pledges. (Applause)Everyone acquainted with diplomatic usages, orwith the plain requirements of honesty, under-stands this. The foolish invention that the Presi-dent refused to permit the dotting of an “i” orthe crossing of a “t’” has been so often repeatedthat many honest people believe in its truth. During his tour, the President repeatedly ex-pressed entire willingness to accept any and allreservations not incompatible with America’shonor and true interests. It is the plain intent ofthe covenant that the Monroe Doctrine is exclud-ed, that domestic questions are exempted, thatnot one American can be sent out of the country 37 rater Lestat t iwi tege eed Oy tase nq aO° PMT “nV digad gthans Ai Dizi - ateeter cadliee lato Safeat mai oe ‘ine ofe*s 541 tse j ms (its ait oat} ducesi ly 4 TSG) wll eaaidieew dealtnd a / ial iad 2 Pee ae virco suf c Sex, 47) eal) (ieee Yrinelt ROMY : Tiel hes | ions | "Ye ~ 4 uaa, f z =tle lcs | SO» ompR yay tl 7PereaaA “ce. Gi ae a me pntbiteramad > => felnsier) ; - ) 0 phepedeg, eer To et, Gye =: art TSB “itl fl gym Ml eh ‘nay meso Wey aly fsde es Os ey (74554! ar mor S| USE #05 %S Vir Ming ad seep eoabpanale “ _
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