Question

senator lodge on the treaty of versailles
instructions: annotate the passage according to the guiding questions in the margins
we shall fill this land with political disputes about the troubles and quarrels of other countries. we shall have a large portion of our people voting not on american questions and not on what concerns the united states but dividing on issues which concern foreign countries alone. that is an unwholesome and perilous condition to force upon this country. we must avoid it.
we ought to reduce to the lowest possible point the foreign questions in which we involve ourselves. never forget that this league is primarily - i might say overwhelmingly - a political organization, and i object strongly to having the policies of the united states turn upon disputes where deep feeling is aroused but in which we have no direct interest.
for this reason i wish to limit strictly our interference in the affairs of europe and of africa. we have interests of our own in asia and in the pacific which we must guard upon our own account, but the less we undertake to play the part of umpire and thrust ourselves into european conflicts the better for the united states and for the world.
source: senator henry cabot lodges speech to the senate foreign relations committee, 1919
what is lodges fear?
explain the italicized argument.
summarize lodges beliefs on american involvement in foreign affairs.

Explanation:

1. What is Lodge's fear?: Lodge fears that the US will be filled with political disputes over foreign - country issues, leading Americans to vote on non - American concerns, which he deems an unwholesome and perilous situation.
2. Explain the italicized argument: The italicized argument emphasizes that the league is mainly a political organization and Lodge opposes US policies being influenced by disputes in which the US has no direct interest.
3. Summarize Lodge's beliefs on American involvement in foreign affairs: Lodge believes the US should limit its interference in European and African affairs, focus on protecting its own interests in Asia and the Pacific, and play less of a role as an umpire in European conflicts for the betterment of the US and the world.

Answer:

1. Lodge's fear is that the US will be consumed by political disputes over foreign - country issues, causing Americans to vote on non - American concerns, creating an unwholesome and dangerous situation.
2. The italicized argument is that the league is primarily a political organization and Lodge objects to US policies being determined by disputes where the US has no direct interest.
3. Lodge believes the US should reduce involvement in European and African affairs, safeguard its own interests in Asia and the Pacific, and avoid playing the role of an umpire in European conflicts.