The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-02
CONFERENCE WITH
SENATORS AT END
Chief Executive Receives
Little Comfort From
Republicans.
WATSON THE LAST
Indiana Senator Strong
On Reservations and
Opposed to Shantung
Clause in Treaty.
WATSON THE LAST

Washington, August with the
summoning to the White House to-
day Of Senator James E. Watson, OF
Indiana, President Wilson exhausted
the list of Republican senator's with
whom he desired to discuss the peace
treaty and the league OF nations. 1t
is not believed any further confer
ences except with Democratic sena-
tors will be held.
At the beginning the president sent
for those senator's who he believes
would be most likely to yield to per-
suasive arguments in favor OF accept
ing the treaty and the league just as
they came from the Paris conference.
The president then worked UP the
scale until he has reached the point
where NJ more senators can be called
except the irreconcilables with whom
It would be entirely futile to conduct
any argument In support OF unreserved
ratification of the treaty.
The Republican senators who have
not been called are:
Lodge, Knox. Borah. Johnson. of
California. Moses. Penrose. Brande-
Gronna. La Toilette. Mccormick.
Poindexter, Sherman and Wadsworth.
Senator Norris, of Nebraska. and
Senator sutherland OF West Virginia,
were invited. but declined to 20.
The president apparently appreci-
ates the fact that nothing would be
! gained by discussing the league or
| the treaty with any Of the other
senator's on the list. Eon Of them
has been invited thus far to attend
a conference with the president on
treaty subjects. \
A few DAYS ago the question as to
-. -o,.f5 - 49, 3o~% C.~atNr 70 nc
Invited was the subject Of considera-
BE good-natured banter among the
senator's on the foreign relations.
Whether it would be Senator Borah,
the implacahle enemy OF the league.
Senator Knox. the author OF the reso-
luton to take the league out OF the
treaty. or Senator Lodge, chairman
of the committee. WIS 5okingly corn
nented upon. Now It appears that
the honors Il rest with Senator
Swanson and that the invitation list
will end with his name.
Senator watson's interview with the
president this afternoon was charac-
terized by frankness. He told the
president three things:
/. That-the treaty will not be rati-
fed unless reservations are made.
2. That he believed the interests Of
America OF greater Importance than
those OF the rest OF the world.
5. That he would not vote to en-
dorse the Shantung award even II all
other provisions in the treaty were
s~a satisfactory.
Upon the subject Of Americanism.
Senator Watson took much the same
ground as that taken by his COL
league, Senator Law. in his talk with
the president yesterday. He declared
that he was not in any sense an in
te.nationalist and that he was a flrm
! believer in nationalism, especially the
nationalism of the United States.
Senator watson referred to the
J presidents speech in which he pre-
s. nted the treaty to the senate. say
ing:
"Mr. President. there was one sen
t. nee in your speech which just raised
me up on tiptoes and aroused my
feeling to the most intense opposition
to you position. That was the SEN
tence in which you spoke Of the neces-
sity of entering this combination no
matter what the cost might be in in
dependent thought and action.
That sentence, in my opinion. ex-
pressed clearly a doctrine of inter-
nationalism."
The president was somewhat taken
aback at this construction on his ut
III trNC a
not to Judge him by one sentence. and
to this the senator replied mat che
p- osident was such a master Of En-
glish that 1t was to be assumed that
he used the words to what they
said.
The president expressed objection to
three Of the reservations which have
ben proposed. but stated he did not
believe there should be any reserva-
tion on Article X. He said r%eopening
of the question with the other powers
would mean the entire winter would
be taken up with discussion Of the
treaty. Senate Watson replied that
a little delay would not prevent the
effective working Of the league and
that American interests should not
be sacrificed for the mere reason that
changes would have to be submitted
to other nations.