A Subcommittee

Henry Cabot Lodge, veteran of Senators, son of the New England aristocracy, litterateur by preference, politician by profession, statesman by courtesy, the "clammy-handed," the cold, the unimpassioned intellectual, the foe of Wilson--is now the friend of Hughes. In the Senate a fortnight ago he undertook a defence of the Secretary of State's policy of nonrecognition of the Soviet Government.

Under his protecting wing, as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, will be conducted an investigation as to the justification of Mr. Hughes' policy.

After defending the Administration's policy he set about to carry out his promise to Senator Borah and other advocates of Russian recognition that there should be an investigation. The Foreign Relations Committee formally authorized an inquiry as to: 1) What, if any, revolutionary propaganda is carried out in this country with the abettance of the Russian Government? 2) Is diplomatic recognition of the Russian Government now timely? And then it devolved on Mr. Lodge himself to name the subcommittee which should make the investigation.

He did not appoint himself, of course.

Indeed, it is rather grotesque that he should have any part in the business --he, Cabot Lodge of the foremost Massachusetts elite, a scholar, a gentleman of refinement, to concern himself with the sansculottes of Russia, to mix in a proletarian problem. Aside from his other important duties, the Subcommittee was obviously no place for him.

For its head he chose none other than Senator William E. Borah himself. For its members he furnished Senator Lenroot of Wisconsin, Senator Pepper of Pennsylvania, Senator Swanson of Virginia, Senator Pittman of Nevada. The three first are Republicans, the two last Democrats.

Borah, who baited Mr. Lodge on the issue involved, is made head of the Subcommittee; Lenroot who supported Lodge on the same question, is named next.

Now the fun of investigating begins.

To himself the Senior Senator from Massachusetts has appropriated a place fairly well in the background.

If the Subcommittee decides in favor of recognizing the Soviet, Mr. Borah, not Mr. Lodge, will have to shake hands with those proletarians.