Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-03-08
SENATORS LAMDAST
BR|T|SH-W|LSO|v
PEACE LEAGUE:

revelations OF today exhibited In high
lights tho disappointment the cha
grin and even the sympathetic en-
barrassment suffered by the memberC
of the Foreign Relations Committee
who attended tho dinner at the White
House on Wednesday night.
At midnight last night and early
this morning Senators and ,Rcprosen-
tativcS who had lahorcd to penetrate
MIR. w lSon'E mind and to understand
his policies were themselves so weary
and mind muddled that they were
unable to discuss cohercntly what
had taken place.
This afternoon when they had had
opportunity to got together to COM
pare notes and to check up one an
others rccol' cotton they were ablo to
present n clear account OF the con
vcrsation. The result OF this SYM
postum Is indeed amazing. Senator
Brandcgce (Conn.) Expresses 1t in q
phrase:
II feel as II | had been wandering
with Alico in Wonderland and had
tea with the Mad Halter. Whom |
awakened this morning | expected
the White Rabbit waiting to go to
breakfast with me-"
Senator'S and Representatives who
went to tho dinner and heard Mr..
Wilson deliver n prose- poem culogiH-
iug tho British Wilson League Of Ma
ionS plan, and who tried by persist
Ont questioning to get detailed inrOr-
nation about tho plan, declare they
mArvcllrd at Mr.. wilson apparent
ignorance about parts OF the leagues
constitution. This aStonishod and
embarrassed most Of the men, who
pressing question after question upOn
the President, finally became aware Of
his lack of precise knowledge con-
corning all OF the twenty six articles.
BLUSHING EMBARRASSMENT.
Ono Senator said to The Sun cor
respondents:
believe me, I felt the same blush
ing embarrassment that used to como
over mo as small boy when some
boy friend with n balky memory
forgot tho piece he was hidden to
rccitc and broke down In the middle
OF it,"
Touching on this matter the I'M
prcsSionS Of several Senators may he
found interesting.
Senator Knox (Pa.) remarked to
group of friends:
Thr President displayed amazing
lack of fam'i arity with the proposed
league constitution"
Senator Lodge (MassD, putting
the thought another way, said:
Fhc President seemed actually
bcfuddlcd about many most import
ant points"
Senator William Alden Smith
(Mich) confdcd:
"Thc Presidents ignorance OF tho
terms OF the covenant was amazing. I"
Senator Brandegcc Comm said:
'Wfth the wide open eyes OF an
ingcnue the President met every lie
ga, constitutional 90 common sense
question with glittcring gcneralities. 1"
EVEN moro interesting were totally
unexpected admissions the President
was induced to make. It Is the
opinion of number OF Senators that
nnwlttingly perhaps he has slain the
infant OF his dreams by these con-
fessions.
SCRAPS OF INFORMATION.
Pressed by men eager for scraps
or information, prominent among
whom were Senator Brandegee and
representative Henry w. Temple
(PaD and OF Willard Ragsdale Is.
c. the President stated with f1nalty
that
I. The League OF Nations will
not prevent war
2. The United States must sir
render vital points OF sovereignty.
3. Ireland rs to be left to tho
mercics Of England.
4. Chinese and Japanese exclus-
ION go ont OF American control into
tho hands Of the League Council.
5. The Monroe Doctr'no will he
extended to the whole world
8. The present constitution Is
BRUSH made. the French, American
and Italian drafts having been re-
jcctcd.
Z. American troops could be com
pc led at need to participate in purely
European wars.
:. The United States could with
draw from the league at any time.
every Senator - Knox, Lodge,
Brandeecc. McCumber. Hitchcock, to
n"mc few who discussed the dinner
today-agrecd that the President
actually made these statements or
admissions. The Republicans natur
ally were clated. The Democrats
were correspondingly downcast. Sen
afor Lewis Tl!) paced the Senate
corridors, this afternoon muttering:
lie made great mistake; oh,
dear, | fear he has made a fearful
error"
Senators that know their consti-
tuents predicted today that just as
soon as the force and significance OF