News of the Week
ON !Tuesday the American Senate ratified the Peace Pact. This is a great event, the benefits of which will be traced everywhere in future history. In the end Senator Borah, who had fought for ratification not only without reservations but even without such interpretative comments as could be kept on record for reference, had to give way to hiS Opponents in the leSser matter. He agreed to the proposal that the report of the Foreign Relations Committee should indicate clearly that the Monroe Doctrine and , the right .of self7defence were not prejudiced by the Treaty. Thus, America has taken an action which is virtually equivalent to Sir Austen Chamberlain's communication to America of certain comments on the Treaty.- Although neither country has made a reservation, both have thought it well to safeguard themselves against the possibility of being accused of bad faith 'under conditions which leave them no choice in the matter of policy. We cannot complain of the commentaries. We regard them as the gestures , of honest men• who wish to protect themselves against odious charges. Eighty-five Senators voted for ratifi- cation and only one voted against it. This one was Senator Blaine.
