THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR.

Free Lance, Volume XIX, Issue 1013, 26 November 1919, Page 10

THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR.

The Selfish Yank. THE Republican opposition to the Peace Treaty so solemnly signed at Versailles by Mr "Wilson as America's first citizen, has no doubt been very largely influenced by the hope of -capturing the Irish and German American votes at the next presidential election. For the time being, Senator Lodge—'from whom, with bis fine political past, better things might have been hoped—and his supporters have scored one against our old friend, Mr "Won't Row." But.it doesn't follow that Mr Wilson will "take it lying down." If he can but regain his health he will probably put in some big campaign work in favour of the Treaty before Congress re-assembles.

The Republicans are appealing partly to that idiotic anti-British feeling which to-day seems., curiously enough, to be as strong a factor in American politics as ever it was, but the main motive power behind the action of the majority in the Senate is just pure seL fisiness. America didn't go into the war until she was practically \ forced into it by the insane insolence of the Kaiser, but before she did get in she had reaped a colossal harvest of profit out of the food and munitions she sold to France and Great Britain. Also, during the first three years of the war she enjoyed almost a monopoly of the world's trade in certain articles.

It is the 'height of selfishness for her to now turn round and refuse to share the duties and responsibilities which lier participation in the war have fairly cast upon her. " America for the Americana and let the whole, of the rest of the world go iiang," is pure selfishness. To refuse the Armenian mandate, to withdraw her troops from Germany, to decline to occupy Constantinople—to object, in fact, to playing even a minor role in the great work of European reconstruction, is a. mean game to play.

If she persists in this policy of hidebound; provincialism, if she leaves Great Britain and France, "both so sadly impoverished by the war, to police the Near East, and grapple unaided by their wealthy and powerful Trans-Atlantic ally in the war, with the many serious international ;problemsi involved in the Versailles Treaty, then America must forfeit the esteem of honour-loving and honourrespecting countries. It may be that in the long run she may lose what is, apparently, dearer to her than national honour, namely, a large proportion of the export trade she is now enjoying.

If sbe will not assist Great Britain and France in carrying out the Peace Treaty then it .may well become an open question with these nations whether they shall not retaliate by putting up such a " high wall" protection tariff against all American goods as will simply shut them out altogether. And whatever Great . Britain may choose to do in this "way, the oversea British dominions wijl probably do also. Selfishness does not pay in the long run, and there is such a thing as carrying the worship of the "almighty dallar" to a dangerous extreme.

Meanwhile, Jellicoe strikes the right chord -when he, in effect, if not in actual words, tells Great Britain she must keep her (naval) powder dry. By this unscrupulous conduct of the Republican Party in the Senate America has been committed to a policy of pure selfishness. If the nation as a whole approves and confirms that conduct then it will .be quite clear that all the beautiful talk about an Anglo-Ameri-can " union of hearts " ib just so much empty gush. The proper reply to such a gross breach of faith, to political huckstering worthy of the traditional Down East dealer in " wooden hams," will be a boycott of anything and everything Am erica jj. And when you hit the Yankee in his pocket jtou hit him " where he lives."