Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924

<p><b>Henry Cabot Lodge was a Republican senator from Massachusetts. Close friend to Theodore Roosevelt, Lodge supported imperialist endeavors and favored military preparedness following the outbreak of World War I. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Lodge opposed President Woodrow Wilson over ratification of the Treaty of Versailles.</b></p>

<p>Henry Cabot Lodge (1850-1924) was born into a prominent Boston family in 1850. Through his mother’s family, the Cabots, Lodge traced his lineage back to the 17th century, with one great-grandfather a leading Federalist during the Revolutionary period. Growing up in both an intellectual and privileged household, "Cabot" took naturally to academic subjects, particularly history and literature. Beyond his early devotion to scholarly pursuits, Lodge also enjoyed numerous sports and the great outdoors; activities that would later help foster a friendship with Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919).</p>

<p>As was customary among upper-class New England families, Lodge attended Harvard College, graduating in 1871. After marrying Anna Davis (1850-1915), daughter of naval scientist and Naval Observatory superintendent Rear Admiral Charles H. Davis (1807-1877), Lodge returned to Harvard. By 1876, at only twenty-six years old, Lodge had earned both law and doctoral degrees; his Ph.D. in Political Science was the first ever issued to a Harvard student. Over the next several years, Lodge – mentored by his former teacher Henry Adams (1838-1918), grandson and great-grandson of two former presidents – worked as assistant editor of the respected intellectual quarterly North American Review and taught American history at his alma mater, publishing several books while on the faculty.</p>

<p>Given his intellectual and familial background, it is no surprise that Lodge turned his attention to politics. Briefly joining with Independents, Lodge ultimately found a political home within the Republican Party. His first years in politics included membership in the lower house of the Massachusetts legislature. Serving in the secretary of the state’s delegation to the Republican National Convention during the 1884 presidential contest initiated Lodge’s friendship with fellow Harvard graduate Theodore Roosevelt. In that election, both men remained true to the party when many deserted its ranks as a result of candidate James G. Blaine’s (1830-1893) connection to financial corruption. This decision fatefully impacted both Lodge and Roosevelt. Lodge’s loyalty bore fruition when he successfully won election first to the House of Representatives (1886) and then to the Senate (1892) Lodge remained in the Senate for the remainder of his life. For Roosevelt, his adherence to the Republican Party in 1884 served as a step towards the White House. In the years ahead, their partnership played an active role in shaping American foreign relations.</p>

<p>Almost immediately upon his ascension to the Senate in 1893, Lodge demonstrated his ability to navigate the waters of Congress, establishing himself as a dedicated and respected – though not always well-liked – spokesman for both his home state and the nation. Lodge’s particular passion centered on U.S. foreign policy and he began serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1896. For Lodge, the timing was perfect, as his engrained sense of superiority coupled with a romanticized notion of American destiny made him a strong believer in imperialism. Lodge shared the beliefs of his friend Roosevelt and newly elected Republican president William McKinley (1843-1901). They understood the United States to have a special world mission and responsibility, due to the country’s technological and economic wealth. Lodge and his fellow imperialists emphasized the need for military preparedness. The senator spoke of the importance in maintaining a large and powerful navy, as well as development of military strategy policies regarding bases in the Pacific. Lodge’s fight for such measures proved significant, as the United States gained possession of numerous territories between 1898-1902 and experienced a growth in naval power under the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt.</p>

<p>The grand plans regarding America’s future, meticulously fostered by Lodge and Roosevelt, seemingly shattered in 1912 with the election of Democrat Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924). From the beginning, the Massachusetts senator had taken umbrage with the new president. He had defeated Roosevelt (who ran on the Progressive Party ticket) and the Republican candidate. Even worse, he appeared "soft" on U.S. military preparedness following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. In advocating American involvement, Lodge condemned Germany as sole instigator of the war and called for the unconditional surrender of the Central Powers. American entry into the war in 1917 provided further ammunition for Lodge, as he openly criticized the President’s call for "peace without victory" and the Fourteen Points peace plan.</p>

<p>As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Lodge further challenged Wilson over the League of Nations and ratification of the Treaty of Versailles. A defender of imperialism, Lodge did not oppose an organization that would support peace with force. His primary contention lay with Article X of the league covenant, a provision Lodge believed had the potential to usurp Congress’ power to declare war. In his twelve reservations, Lodge reasserted American authority and control over its relations with other nations. This did not reflect all Republicans, despite Lodge’s unofficial position as Senate Majority Leader. Isolationists, in staunch opposition to the war since 1914, spoke adamantly against any league, with or without reservations. Men known as "irreconcilables" also refused compromise, rejecting the league outright. That Lodge capitalized on such divisions is a testament to his intellectual skill and political power.</p>

<p>Correctly understanding the political folly of outright Republican opposition to a peace treaty, Lodge created a scenario whereby Democrats would have to approve a treaty with Republican mandated reservations or reject it completely. In subsequent Congressional votes between 1919-1920, Lodge’s strategy achieved success; the Senate failed to ratify the Treaty of Versailles and Wilson’s Democrats received the blame, with the president and his party losing in overwhelming numbers in the election of 1920.</p>

<p>Even as he orchestrated the League’s defeat, Lodge believed strongly in America’s right to influence world affairs. Unfettered by "entangling alliances", the United States could move freely in asserting its economic and political interests abroad, uninhibited by the broken nations of Europe. Lodge’s continued importance in foreign affairs is reflected in his appointment by President Warren G. Harding (1865-1923) as a delegate to the Washington Naval Conference in 1922. The conference resulted in several arms reduction treaties while maintaining American national sovereignty and naval superiority.</p>

<p>Ironically, Lodge’s victory over Wilson marked the end of his command of the Senate. Narrowly winning re-election in 1922, the elder statesman remained in office until his death in 1924.</p>

<p>Jennifer Madeline Zoebelein, Kansas State University</p>

<p>Henry Cabot Lodge (May 12, 1850 – November 9, 1924) was an American Republican senator and historian from Massachusetts. A member of the prominent Lodge family, he received his PhD in history from Harvard University. As an undergraduate at Harvard, he joined Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. He is best known for his positions on foreign policy, especially his battle with President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 over the Treaty of Versailles. The failure of that treaty ensured that the United States never joined the League of Nations.</p>

<p>Born in Beverly, Massachusetts, Lodge won election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives after graduating from Harvard. He and his close friend, Theodore Roosevelt, opposed James G. Blaine's nomination at the 1884 Republican National Convention, but supported Blaine in the general election against Grover Cleveland. Lodge was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1886 before joining the United States Senate in 1893.</p>

<p>In the Senate, he sponsored the unsuccessful Lodge Bill, which sought to protect the voting rights of African Americans. He supported the Spanish–American War and called for the annexation of the Philippines after the war. He also supported immigration restrictions, becoming a member of the Immigration Restriction League and influencing the Immigration Act of 1917. Lodge served as Chairman of the 1900 and 1908 Republican National Conventions. A member of the conservative wing of the Republican Party, Lodge opposed Roosevelt's third party bid for president in 1912, but the two remained close friends.</p>

<p>During the presidency of Woodrow Wilson, Lodge advocated entrance into World War I on the side of the Allied Powers. He became Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, emerging as the leader of the Senate Republicans. He led the opposition to Wilson's Treaty of Versailles, proposing twelve reservations to the treaty. He most strongly objected to the provision of the treaty that required all nations to repel aggression, fearing that this would erode Congressional powers and commit the U.S. to burdensome obligations. Lodge prevailed in the treaty battle and Lodge's objections would influence the United Nations, the successor to the League of Nations. After the war, Lodge participated in the creation of the Washington Naval Treaty, which sought to prevent a naval arms race. He remained in the Senate until his death in 1924.</p>

<p>LODGE, HENRY CABOT, (great-grandson of George Cabot, grandfather of Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., and John Davis Lodge), a Representative and a Senator from Massachusetts; born in Boston, Mass., May 12, 1850; attended a private school and graduated from Harvard University in 1871; editor of the North American Review 1873-1876; graduated from the Harvard Law School in 1874 and admitted to the bar in 1875; earned one of the first Ph.D. degrees in history and government granted by Harvard University in 1876; lecturer on American history at Harvard University 1876-1879; member, State house of representatives 1880-1881; author of many historical, biographical, and political works; unsuccessful Republican candidate in 1882 for election to the Forty-eighth Congress and in 1884 to the Forty-ninth Congress; elected as a Republican to the Fiftieth, Fifty-first, and Fifty-second Congresses and served from March 4, 1887, until March 3, 1893, when he resigned; had been reelected to the Fifty-third Congress, but was later elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1893; reelected to the Senate in 1899, 1905, 1911, 1916, and 1922 and served from March 4, 1893, until his death; Republican Conference chairman (1918-24); president pro tempore (1911-13); chairman, Committee on Immigration (Fifty-fourth through Sixty-second Congresses), Committee on Printing (Fifty-fifth Congress), Committee on the Philippines (Fifty-sixth through Sixty-first Congresses), Committee on Private Land Claims (Sixty-third through Sixty-fifth Congresses), Committee on Foreign Relations (Sixty-sixth through Sixty-eighth Congresses), Republican Conference (1918-24); appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt a member of the Alaskan Boundary Tribunal in 1903; member of the United States Immigration Commission 1907-1910; overseer of Harvard University from 1911 until his death; represented the United States as a member of the Conference on Limitation of Armament in 1921; died in Cambridge, Mass., on November 9, 1924; interment in Mount Auburn Cemetery.</p>