Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-03-15
REPUBLICANS
 CHALLENGED
 BY CUMMINGS
Asks Policy of Party on
 League of Nations.
HOPES LEAGUE WILL
 NOT BE PARTY ISSUE
Raps C. Q. r. For Efforts To Regain Mastery of Machinery of the
 Government.

New York, March 14.--A chal- lenge to Will H. Hays, chairman of the republican national committee, to place his party on record with re- spect to the league of nations, was issued tonight by Homer s. Cum mings, chairman of the democratic national committee, in an address at a dinner in his honor at the National democratic club.
 Other speakers included Joseph Daniels, secretary of the navy; Car ter Glass, secretary of the treasury, and Governor Alfred F. Smith, of New York.
 I had hoped, and I still hope" said MT. Cummings, "that this great league of nations project will not not become q partisan questian. Ia there any reason why MT. Hays should not put his party upon re- cord in this matter, so that the lea que of nations may have the SUD- port of both political parties and of of all forward looking citizens gener- ally.
 He will be in good company, for he will find himself supported by MT. Taft, MT. Wickersham, ex-Sen- ator Burton and President Lowell, of Harvard, and last, but not least, by MT. Hughes-with MT. Root still to be heard from. It is safer leadership than that of Senators Lodge, Penrose and Knox"
 Attacks Leaders.
 Mir. Cummings launched vigorous attack upon the republican leaders for what he termed "their unusual ef- fcrts during the last two or three years to regain mastery of the ma chinery of government"
 "To this purpose" he asserted, "they have brought all their ingenui- ty. have summoned all their resource fitness, have magnified beyond all reason minor errors of judgement in the conduct of the great war, have mobilized the forces of irritation and discontent and have made tacit con- sessions to certain clements, which to say the least. show tendencies to- ward open sedition. It is an unholy alliance and cannot prevail. When congress adjourned on March 4th, an open filibuster againt pending legislation was still in pro- press. The senate abdicated it's l functions, declined to consider the most pressing of national needs ana wasted precious moments in violent political abuse and vehement opposi- tlon to the league of nations. So in- tent have the republican leaders been upon their purpose, that they. have been betrayed into all sorts of indis- erection. Their moderate triumph of November. 1918, has gone to their heads. The mere prospect of con- trol has already thrown them into confusion.
 Oppose War Measures.
 "Ever since the war began in Eu- rope in 1914. our ears have been vex- ed by the wild cries of the opposition proclaiming a superior brand of pa. triotism, and now at the very first sign of return to partial authority the leaders of the opposition to a league of nations and the leaders in the house of representatives have SC. lected for Floor leader congressman Mondell, of Wyoming, who voted against the tabling of the McLemore resolution and opposed the selective draft law. Senator Penrose is to be chairman of the great Senate commit. tee of finance and the re-actionaries are dictating the policy of the party
 MT. Cumming then recounted the war records of representatives who have been selected for various chair. : nienships in the house o frepresen. tatives in the next congress. Il Pitiful Conclusion. I Ut is pitiful conclusion" he as. serted, "to campaign based upor such ardent promises. It is an ex traordinary thing that those who art loudest for war seem to be most de tcrmined that American shall relin quish the duties which have fallen tt her lot as result of the war.
 "The idea of league of nations is not difficult to understand. The plair people understand it. Only learned SC nators were confused about it. Lei us not be disturbed by the action o1 the dissenting senators. They ar. engaged in the most ungenerous tasl , in history and their objections ar, , written in sand"