The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-05
Pershing Boom Center
 or Political Interest
Republicans in Awkward Position as Result of Wilson's Tactics-Alabamians Testify in Packing n- qury-Senator Bankhead Expresses
 an Opinion Lynching
By HUGH W. ROBERTS

Fill the treaty, and the American peo- pie do not want the treaty killed: will not suffer it to be killed, it is made plain.
 A compromise has been offered The President has agreed to accept reserva- tions defining the sections in accordance with the American idea-the reservations to be Adopted in such manner that they will not send the treaty back to Paris. The republicans have refused to accept the compromise. They are therefore pre- serted to the American people as would be assassins of the treaty itself
 And by their attitude they are main taining the cost of living att it's present abnormal height. The President is pre- pairing to tell the American people just what he told Congress, that opposition to the league of nations, keeping the United States at war with Germany prevents the return to normal conditions, and that until normal conditions are restored. there can be no hope of greatly alleviat ing the popular distress.
 Irrespective of how the people may diff fer as to the effect of Article x of the league of covenant, or on the Shantung section of the treaty of peace, they are united in oeploring the cost of living. If the President can convince them that the republicans have nothing to gain az a jesuit of their fight against the treaty save the rejection of the treaty, and that rejection would be followed bv mary months of unsettled, distressing COT ditions, with little hope of hnai set tlement, the people will force Lodge and Boiah and Johnson to recede from their positions.
 This is the contention and the belief and the strategy as well of democrats, The republican leaders outside the Sen ate, are showing signs of alarm. The President has already run away with the "cost of living" issue, and he is pre- pairing to take advantage of his present tour to drive the lesson into the very hearts of the people of the United States
 ind the issue of the next presidential
 ampaign will be the cost of living.
 In this correspondence it has already been pointed out how the President caught the republicans asleep and held them in session after they had agreed to recess. The republicans are quietly admitting that the President slipped one oyer," for although remedial legislation will be adopted by a republican ma jority, it will be at the crack of the Presidents whip. The republicans de- cided to recess because they foresaw no hope of reducing the cost of living un-
 less they reduced the wages of labor. They feared labor and agreed to quit. The President forced them again between the traces. And he gets credit for at tempting to dtleNldle tHe DuI0eH OI lHc people.
 Far-sighted republican politicians fore see danger of the President winning still more laurels on the cost of living issue. For there is no question but that he will tell the people that for much of their distress, the republican party, in it's at titude in the Senate, is responsible. And he will be able to sustain his charge with logical fact and deduction. tbot nOlitirianS quietly dropping hints to Lodge They point out the fact that an amendment cannot be secured, and that the only hope in their opposition is the death of the treaty They declare unequivocal- Iy that the people do not want the treaty killed, that they want it ratified in or der that normal conditions, peace-time tconditions might be suffered to return. The early developments in the long though interesting struggle may be note
 worthy Republican opposition may crumble at any time.