Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-07-25
1t Is Now Recognized That
Definitions Must Be Made
# League of Nations Is to
Be Achieved.
REPUBLICAN COMBINE
BELIEVED MYTHICAL
If Opposition Has Forty-Nine|
Votes Treaty and Covenant.
viii Be Separated; If Not,
Vice President VIII DeCide,I
BY Charles Nicholson.
Correspondent of the Albuquerque
journal and New York WorId.D


Journal and New York World.D
Washington, July 24.-That band
of thirty-five republicar senators who,
il is said. have signed a pledge to re-
tire from public life before they will
agree to ratification of the peace trea-
ty as it stands. is a league of shadows
Former President Taft's Letter to
Win H. Hays, republican national
chairman, reveals no sucn pact,
though it is evident that Mr. Taft be-
lieves there must be reservations
through Interpretation, if the treaty is
ratified. That Mr.. Tafts letter is
something of a shock to administers
ton leaders, is putting it mildly. His
attack upon President Wilson was not
expected, although he voiced publicly
what is common talk in the
cloak rooms But Taft doesn't
indicate knowledge of the Immortal
thirty-five.
Diligent research today failed to I'M
cover even one signatOrv to the doonls-
day bond. Senator Moses came nearest
to investing the thirty-five with a cor
poreal existence. He intimated that
such list was shown to him, but not
by a senator
But II is believed these are thirty
five republican senators Nh3, without
signing an agreement to that effect,
can he rened upon never to vote for
ratification of the treaty as it now
stands. 1T may be said that there are
probably forty-five or forty-six such
republicans. and at least three such
democrats. But no such document has
been signed. so far as any responsible
person processes to know.
Tproh ha ORIGINAL la st -
ditcher never heard of it until he.
saw it in the newspapers, but suggest
ed that as everybody knew that his
position was one Of unalterabe oppO-
sition to the treaty, anybody gettingl
up such a list might have presumed
his Endorsement.
Senator New had no knowledge of
such a list; he had signed nothing of
the sort though he insisted that more
than thirty-five senators would vote
against the treaty as it was presented,
first, last and all the time.
Some Senators Are Curious.
Senator Warren, Senator Kenyon
and so on all down the line of sena-,
tors who could be reached today indi-
Gated curiosity incredulity or ignor
ance of the formidable pledge. Ac-
cording to their relative positions they
spoke their personal feelings, but not.
one has bound himself any further
than the original round robin commit
ted him. In fact, there are among
them a number who wish they had
not even signed Mr.. Lodges interest
ing document.
Nor could the senator be unearthed
who told the president that he would
furnish this list to him to prove
- lyo haI
republicans alone were against the
covenant. Undoubtedly one or more
Of the seven the president has inter-
viewed gave his estimate of the num-
ber of senators who were against theI
treaty, but if the president had mott
known this he would not have resort
ed to the interviews to effect CONVEX
sions.
The tale of the senatorial legion of
death must he listed with the REGULAR
Saturday night installment of propa-
ganda. A week ago the newspapers
published "on high authority theI
story of q conference of republican
senators, coming together in secret
session, to formulate the irreducibleI
minimum of demands for amend
ments and reservations. This i'm
pressive announcement sent the news
paper correspondents scurryng all
over Washington and its environs to
locate. the conference. They found
senators playing golf. writing speech
es, comforting over whether it should
spades or no trumps; a few were even
found at church, but the fateful con-
gress at which they were to get to-
gether on amendments or reservations
never convened.
Democrats Sec Even Break
The president was down on the