Show I 1 Ii I Delay Not Desired i ii i i Mc i ago su suggestion was made that ratification of the peace I JV treaty and the league of nations covenants be submitted to toe e people for an advisory vote Nothing came of it It in In lieu of popular vote the nation was polled as as successfully as f It could be compilation b being ing made of newspaper editorial pinion opinion and str straw w votes being taken in many places Various organizations also expressed their opinions t t Comes now Senator Lodge with a a. a proposal a-proposal that the entire i i latter aUer be made a campaign issue and be decided at the polls at I pe e national election in hi November 1920 Six months ago ago if the Massachusetts senator had suggested submitting the matter to theople the I ople Immediately for an advisory vote the senate to abide by bye byI I ie e vote thus given we w would uld have welcomed the proposal A Aj j ecial advisory election would have hastened the day of peace I But we cannot approve delaying action for a year nor do we J lieve the peace treaty should be made a campaign issue In Ine ine 1 e first place industrial conditions are such that it is imperative ato a ate 4 to te of peace be reestablished without delay Until this Is done I inch uch legislation of vital importance must be held in abeyance If the Lodge proposal was carried out the peace treaty would t c iconic conic the dominating issue of the campaign and many other matt fiatt mat fiat t rs s of great importance would be lost sight of This would not nota l a weighty argument against the Lodge proposal if the element clement c P delay did not enter into the matter But to hold up action on Treaty until after the elections of November 1920 and as a sequence defer action on all legislation contingent upon ending th ar would mean to s seriously rio sly handicap the pro prosperity and welfare of the nation It should not be done To the contrary a duty of the senate to continue consideration of the pact until such time as a compromise can be reached that will r re dt lt in ratification of the document |