Lodge Reservations - Henry Cabot Lodge and Republicanism

Henry Cabot Lodge and Republicanism

The Treaty of Versailles posed ideological problems for many republicans including Henry Cabot Lodge. Most contentious of its propositions was the Covenant that called for the creation of a League of 46 nations which would arbitrate international law and maintain peace for the indefinite future. The contents of Article 10 specifically required that the United States Congress relinquish its authority over whether the United States commits itself to warfare. Lodge even recorded his personal position on August 11, 1919, stating that:

if there had been no proposition such as is included in Article 10, but a simple proposition that it would be our intention to aid France, which is our barrier and outpost, when attacked without provocation by Germany, I should have strongly favored it for I feel very keenly the sacrifices of France and the immense value her gallant defense was to the whole world. But they have made the French treaty subject to the authority of the League, which is not to be tolerated. If we ever are called upon to go to the assistance of France as we were two years ago, we will go without asking anybody's leave. It is humiliating to be put in such an attitude and not the least of the mischief done by the League is that Article 10 will probably make it impossible to do anything for France as Root recommends and as many of our Senators desire.

Senator Lodge in fact favored many of the clauses of the Treaty and similar proposals by League supporters. It could be said that Lodge's beliefs resembled the features of the peace program of French Premier Georges Clemenceau, because he voiced admiration for said program in his memorandum. The underpinnings of Lodge's acceptance of this peace program and reservations to the Treaty of Versailles highlight President Wilson's opportunity to compromise with a Senator who shared similar if not identical ideals. (memorandum, Henry Cabot Lodge Papers (Massachusetts Historical Society); Congressional Record, 65 cong., 3 Sess., 724-28 (Dec. 21, 1918).) One of these ideals was the control of military states, especially in reaction to Germany.During negotiations with diplomat Henry White over the impending peace settlement, Lodge emphasized that "the first and controlling purpose of the peace must be to put Germany in such a position that it will be physically impossible for her to break out again upon other nations with a war for world conquest." As was common among political leaders of the time, Lodge believed that Germany should pay the maximum indemnity which it could afford. Moreover, he believed that post-war matters mustn't be muddled by an indefinite covenant. This belief contrasts some previous statements Senator Lodge made, such as his commencement address at Union College, Schenectady, New York, on 9 June 1915, in which he said "in differences between nations which go beyond the limited range of arbititrable questions peace can only be maintained by putting behind it the force of united nations determined to uphold it and prevent war." Statements like these imply possible inconsistency within Lodge's views, however many interpret Lodge, especially considering his correspondences, as a nationalist who simply disfavored aspects of the Covenant. In correspondence to Senator Lodge, Senator Knox and Senator Root sent one letter that explained the distinction between the League and an alliance. The three Senators shared an aversion to the commitments of Article 10 as they generally accepted that Article 10 would impel the United States into the enforcement of all international law. Senator Lodge and future President Calvin Coolidge also exchanged over 400 letters from 1888 to 1924, the bulk of which centers on the 1919–1920 conflict over the League of Nations. These letters document 20 years of Lodge's expansionism and nationalism—especially in his opinions U.S. foreign policy in Latin America during the administrations of President Taft and President Wilson—calling into question the claims that Lodge was strictly an isolationist.