Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-26
REPUBLICANS NOT
VIEWING LEAGUE
ASPARTY ISSUE
Alleged That Senator Lodges
Recent Statement Has
Been Misunderstood.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The republican party will not take
the initiative in making the treaty of
peace and league Of nations a party
issue in the 1920 campaign. Senator
Lodge has been misunderstood. Not
only is his statement of a week ago
to be regarded as an individual ex-
preston issued without consultation
with Will Hays, republican national
chairman. and other leading repub-
side of it. but the purpose he had In
mind was not to close the door to
compromise but to insist that those
ing Americanized tie .frsafy IS 10
tanned in any ratifying resolution
which is ultimately passed.
The foregoing constitutes the posi-
ton of the republican party as just
outlined to me by the men who have
the say in it's councils. 1t is hopeful
news, because it means that the re-
publican party isn't going to allow
considerations of partisan politics to
govern its attitude when Congress re-
convenes next Monday and receives
again from President Wilson a copy
of the treaty for action.
Lodge Statement Explained.
The true story of that statement is
sued by Senator Lodge as the turbu-
lent Session of the Senate adjourned
last weeks can now be told. Senator
Lodge had been in frequent confer
ence with Will Hays. Together they
had discussed the various moves
which were made on the last night of
the session. Mr.. Hays was deeply in
terested in party solidarity. He was
gratified with the way the repubIi-
cans united more than once on fun
damental questions. But he left
Washington sorry that the treaty
had not been ratified in some form.
Nothing was said to him before he
left concerning the statement to be
issued by Senator Lodge nor was it
intended as a deliberate party pro-
nouncement. Nevertheless the editorial
press has so regarded it and some
newspapers have gone So far as to
say that Senator Lodge committed by
his statement the same blunder that
President Wilson did in his election
appeal in November, 1918, when the
war was still on. What Senator
Lodge meant incidentally may have
been subjected to the same unfor-
tunate misconstruction as the position
of President Wilson was in the cam
paign days. when he was being ac-
cused of favoring a soft peace with
Germany.
Influenced by Senate Happenings.
But the fact is that the Massa-
chusetts senator's statement must be
taken in the light of what had been
happening in the Senate and not as
an isolated expression Of a purely
partisan purpose. The democrats had
been consistently opposing reserva-
tions. Senator Lodge and his COL
leagues insisted that it would be a
surrender of American sovereignty to
pass an unqualified resolution of
ratification. He viewed the reserva-
tions as So necessary that he was
willing to leave it to the people to
decide in the next campaign if the
democrats insisted on their own
position.
Attitude of Democrats.
But since the Congress adjourned
it has been apparent that the demo-
Gratis have come over to the republi-
can position to the extent of favoring
resolution of ratification with res
ervations. The democrats have shown
distinct desire to dispose of the
to the campaign Of 1920. So the in
itiative in making the treaty a parti-
san campaign issue will not be taken
by either side. That means compro-
mise. But it also means that the re-
publicans will insist that the demo-
reservations are faulty and wherein
they can be changed so as not to sac
rifice the principles which the repub-
licans have stood for.
Clearly the republicans would like to
have the democrats take the Initiative
in the compromising process. am as
sured that the republicans will not move
the treaty out of the committee on for
eign relations unless they have a def
mite understanding with the democrats
as to the character of the compromise.
Pride will not stand in the way of dem
ocratic overtures, no matter how dis
tasteful that may be. But the demo-
Gratis on the other hand can point to the
Senate foreign relationse committee as
no place to begin compromising when
the balance OF power in that committee
is held by men like Senator Knox. who
are outspoken In favor of the defeat of
the whole treaty. That leaves the way
open to only one thing-namely, a con-
ference committee such as Senator Pom
creme of Ohio proposed in the closing
hours of the session. consisting of Sena-
tors Lodge and Hitchcock and three 9TH
ers from each side of the chamber, to
work out a compromise.
Such a proposal probably would
Continued on Second Pagel