POLITICS AT ANY PRICE

Senatorial politics has again destroyed America's universal hope of peace. When the Senate defeated ratification last Friday it wrote a fitting conclusion to the ignoble history of the treaty fight.

A year ago the whole world gloried at America's mighty achievements, her broad vision, her unselfish spirit. Today America stands alone, humiliated, dishonored, friendless. The treaty that has been ratified by every other belligerent, and is already in effect, is not acceptable to the United States Senate, even though it be accompanied by the most sweeping of reservations.

Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats are blameless. Both groups, drunk with partisanship and selfish ambitions, have preferred national ignominy to sacrificing their party pride. Although "get together" has been the people's instructions to their Senators for the last six months, obstinacy and arbitrariness have been the order of the day.

Instead of heeding the wishes of the voters who elected them as their representatives, the Senators preferred to play politics, to settle personal spites and petty animosities. The result was inevitable; the Senate's actions on the peace treaty will be written in letters of shame in the future history of America.