The Treaty in the United States.-When the treaty was presented to the United States Senate for approval，a violent opposition appeared.In that cham-ber the Republicans had a slight majority and a two-thirds vote was neces-sary for ratification.The sentiment for and against the treaty ran mainly along party lines；but the Republicans were themselves divided.The major portion，known as "reservationists，"favored ratification with certain conditions respect-ing American rights；while a small though active minority rejected the League of Nations in its entirety，announcing themselves to be "irreconcilables."The grounds of this Republican opposition lay partly in the terms of peace imposed on Germany and partly in the Covenant of the League of Nations.Exceptionwas taken to the clauses which affected the rights of American citizens in prop-erty involved in the adjustment with Germany，but the burden of criticism was directed against the League.Article X guaranteeing against external aggres-sion the political independence and territorial integrity of the members of the League was subjected to a specially heavy fire；while the treatment accorded to China and the sections affecting American internal affairs were likewise at-tacked as "unjust and dangerous."As an outcome of their deliberations，the Re-publicans proposed a long list of reservations which touched upon many of the vital parts of the treaty.These were rejected by President Wilson as amounting in effect to a "nullification of the treaty."As a deadlock ensued the treaty was definitely rejected，owing to the failure of its sponsors to secure the requisite two-thirds vote.
Europe According to the Peace of Paris，1919-1920The League of Nations in the Campaign of 1920.-At this juncture the presidential campaign of 1920opened.The Republicans，while condemning the terms of the proposed League，endorsed the general idea of an international agreement to prevent war.Their candidate，Senator Warren G.Harding of Ohio，maintained a similar position without saying definitely whether the League devised at Paris could be recast in such a manner as to meet his requirements.The Democrats，on the other hand，while not opposing limitations clarifying the obligations of the United States，demanded "the immediate ratification of the treaty without reservations which would impair its essential integrity."TheDemocratic candidate，Governor James M.Cox，of Ohio，announced his firm conviction that the United States should "go into the League，"without closing the door to mild reservations；he appealed to the country largely on that issue.The election of Senator Harding，in an extraordinary "landslide，"coupled with the return of a majority of Republicans to the Senate，made uncertain American participation in the League of Nations.
The United States and International Entanglements.-Whether America entered the League or not，it could not close its doors to the world and escape perplexing international complications.It had ever-increasing financial and commercial connections with all other countries.Our associates in the recent war were heavily indebted to our government.The prosperity of American in-dustries depended to a considerable extent upon the recovery of the impover-ished and battle-torn countries of Europe.
There were other complications no less specific.The United States was compelled by force of circumstances to adopt a Russian policy.The government of the Czar had been overthrown by a liberal revolution，which in turn had been succeeded by an extreme，communist "dictatorship."The Bolsheviki，or majority faction of the socialists，had obtained control of the national council of peasants，workingmen，and soldiers，called the soviet，and inaugurated a radical régime.They had made peace with Germany in March，1918.Thereupon the United States joined England，France，and Japan in an unofficial war upon them.After the general settlement at Paris in 1919，our government，while withdrawing troops from Siberia and Archangel，continued in its refusal to recognize the Bolshevists or to permit unhampered trade with them.President Wilson repeatedly denounced them as the enemies of civilization and undertook to lay down for all countries the principles which should govern intercourse with Russia.
Further international complications were created in connection with the World War，wholly apart from the terms of peace or the League of Nations.The United States had participated in a general European conflict which changed the boundaries of countries，called into being new nations，and reduced the power and territories of the vanquished.Accordingly，it was bound to face the problem of how far it was prepared to co？perate with the victors in any settlement of Europe's difficulties.By no conceivable process，therefore，could America be disentangled from the web of world affairs.Isolation，if desirable，had become impossible.Within three hundred years from the founding of the tiny settlements at Jamestown and Plymouth，America，by virtue of its institutions，its population，its wealth，and its commerce，had become first among the nations of the earth.By moral obligations and by practical interests its fate was thus linked with the destiny of all mankind.