Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-03-11

the President About Various Mat
ters; But the Replies Served to
Leave Them Still in the Dark-En-
Iiahtenins Story of the White House
Dinner.
From the New York Sun.
Washignton, February 27.-The rev.
elations Of today exhibited in high
lights the disappointment, the chagrln
and even the sympathetic embarrass-
ments suffered by the members OF the
foreign relations committee who at
tended the dinner at the White House
on Wednesday night.
At midnight last night and early TINS
morning senators and representatives
who had labored to penetrate Mr.. Will
sons mind and to understand his poll
cies, were themselves so weary ano
mind muddled that they were unable
to discuss coherently what had taken
place.
This afternoon when they had op-
portunity to get together to compare
notes and to check up one anotners
recollection they were able to present
a clear account Of the conversation
the result of this symposium Is indeed
amazing. Senator Brandagee (Conh.)'
expresses it in a phrase:
"y feel as If I had been wandering
with Alice in Wonderland and had mao
tea with the Mad Halter. When
awakened this morning / expected tne
White Rabbit waiting to go TO preak-
fast with me"
Senators and representatives who
went to the dinner and heard Mr.. VIII
son deliver a prose poem eulogizine
the British Wilson league of nations
plan, and who tried by persistent ques-
tioning to get detailed information
about the plan, declare they marveiieo
at Mr.. Wilson's apparent ignorance
of the proposed league Of nations con
stitution. This astonished and embar-
rassed most of the men, who, pressing
question after question upon the presi-
dent, finally became aware OF his lack
of his precise knowledge concerning
all of the 26 articles.
Felt Blushins Embarrassment.
One senator said to the Sun corre-
spondent:
believe me. I felt the same blush-
ing embarrassment that useo 10 eVin.
over me as a small boy when some poy
friend with a balky memory forgot the
niece he was hidden to reclte anu
broke down in the middle OF II.
Touching on this matter the impress
sions of several senators may be found
interesting.
Senator Knox, (Pa), remarked to a
group of friends:
aThs, president displayed amazing
lack Of familiarity with the proposed
league constitution"
Senator Lodge, (Mass-), putting the
thought another way, said:
"The president seemed actually be-
fuddled about many most important
points"
Senator William Alden Smith,
(Mich), confided:
1.-THE presidents ignorance OF the
terms Of the covenant was amazing.
Senator Brandegee, Comm, said:
"With the wide open eyes of an in
genue the president met every legal
constitutional or common sense ques-
ton with glittering generalities."
Even more interesting were totally
unexpected admissions the president
was induced to make. 1t is the opinion
of a number of senators that unwit-
tingly perhaps he has slain the infant
of his dreams by these confessions.
Scraps of Information.
Pressed by men eager for scraps OF
information, prominent among whom
were Senator Brandegee and Repre-
sentative Henry w. Temple, (Pa.), and
Of Willard Ragsdale, Is. c., the presi-
dent stated with finality that
/. The league of nations will not
prevent war.
2. The United States must surren-
der vital points of sovereignty.
8. Ireland is to be left to the mer-
cies of England.
4. Chinese and Japanese exclusion
90 out Of American control into the
hands of the league council.
5. That Monroe doctrine will be eX-
tended to the whole world.
6. The present constitution is Brit.
ish made, the French, American ano
Italian drafts having been rejected.
z. American troops could be COM
PEELED at need to participate IN purely
European wars.
8. The United States could with
draw from the league at any time.
Every senator-Knox, Lodge, Bran
degee, McCumber, Hitchcock, to name
a few who discussed the dinner today
agreed that the president actually
made these statements or admissions
The Republicans naturally were elated
The Democrats were correspondingly
downcast. Senator Lewis, Qll.), paced
the senate corridors this afternoon
muttering:
He made a great mistake; oh, dear
I fear heh as made af earful error.
Senators that know their constitu'
ents predicted today that just as soor
as the force and significance Of Mr.
Wilson's admission that the league
Will not stop war sinks into the com
prehension Of the plain people there
will be a revulsion Of feeling ever
among the most sentimental of Mr.
Wilson's followers.
Senator New, (Ind.), who is rated a:
one of the most level headed men II
the United States senate, keeping al
ways in closest touch with the feeling
in his home state, said to the Sun cor
respondent this evening:
Out in Indiana and throughout the
west and middle west there are hun
dreds of thousands of people who have
not had time or could not take the
trouble to analyze this league of ma
tions project, but in their hearts the!
knew they would be for anythink tina
would wipe out war. For that reasor
many of them have leaned to, tn
presidents ideas. Now he comes alont
and says blandly that the league won
stop war. This alone is enough TO XII
the crazy project"
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