The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-14
UNION LEAGUE ASKS
FOR SENATE SESSION
Demands That Wilson Get U.
s. Legislators Advice on .
Peace League.
6. o. p. FAvORS A PACT
Discussion Of Plan, 1t Is Said,
Creates Hostility Toward
Our Allies in Arms.

Demands that President Wilson call
Immediately an extraordinary session
Of the Senate TO consider and advise
with him on the general plan of the
League of Nations were set forth in
resolutions adopted last night by the
Union League Club. The resolutions
followed the submission of n report by
the clubs committee on political re-
form, which displayed memorable logic
and non-partisanship
The sense Of the entire report, upon
which tho resolutions were based. is
best expressed In the last paragraph
of the resolutions, which reads:
RESOLVED, That It be stated to the
President In such petition that in the
Judgment OF this club the calling or an
extra session of the United States SEN
ale would tend to allay Objectionable
public agitation and to promote
better realisation Of the difficulties
involved, a wiser solution Of the great
problem of how TO enforce peace
throughout the world, and parucu-
larly a tr1Ier understanding by the
people of the United States of the ma
ture and extent of the obligations
which IL Is proposed they shall as
sumo and be called upon TO perform
in the future, and which they cannot
be expected to perform unless they
rest under such n sense of moral duty
and pledged faith as can arise only
~ their duly constituted representa-
tiyes in tho Senate have consulted be-
fore such obligations are undertaken
o., tbafr mo and hehalf'
William d. Guthrie. chairman OF the
committee submitting the report, an
nounced that Elihu Root, former presi-
dent of the club, had authorized him 10
saw that he approved both the commit
tees report and the resolutions, which
were adopted unanimously.
Resolutions were also adopted with
out dissension recommending the restora~
ton of the convention method oil
nomination for State officers and JUS
tees of the Supreme Court These
resolutions carried with them an In
dorsenlent of the Walton Fearon bill
now pending in the Legislature and de-
signed to eliminate the direct primary
method of nomination for these offices.
Injection of Politics DepiOred.
That the Republican party is not op-
rosed to a League Of Nations in princi-
pie. but even depioros tho circumstances
that threaten 10 make n political issue OF
the plan as II has been so far evolved. is
shown in this passage OF the committee
report:
THE great, noble and elevated
theme of a League OF Nations, es-
, sential as many believe to the future
peace, security and happiness of the
world. should not be dragged down
into the field of partisan political is
sues. 1t has not heretofore been
treated as such. Long before Presi-
dent Wilson ever made the slightest
suggestion on the subject, American
statesmen of all parties were advo-
eating the principle of such League
or Society of Nations.
cit is a source of qualification to us
Republicans that the foremost states
men OF our party, men like Elihu Root,
John Hay, Joseph II. Choate, ex-Presi-
dent Taft, Senator Lodge and Senator
Knox were long ago prominent in the
advocacy of the principle. The sub
stance of such "A project cannot be
changed or an ancient Idea and con-
ception transformed into a new dis
covery by merely changing its name.
Nor should the Republican party
permit itself to be driven into false
attitude. Its leaders have long been
in favor of safe, sound and practi-
cal League of Nations or League to
Enforce Peace. The issue at the
present time is not as TO the prin-
cIple of a League of Nations but
solely whether this particular draft
In it's present form, avowedly tenta-'
tive and subject to amendment and
revision, shall or shall not be adopted
snd ratified without meeting any OF
the amendments and revisions that
the Senate may advise.
1.-THE signers of the resolution
drafted by Senator Lodge have not
thereby declared that they are OPP
posed TO the principle of a League OF
Nations or TO an effective establish
ment of that principle in interna-
tional conduct, but, to quote their
own words, their attitude lie that the
constitution of the League Of Nations
Ia the form now proposed TO the
Peace Conference should not be ao-
copied by the United States"
Threats by Wilson Resented.
The committees report further draw
attention TO implied threats in such pub
lie utterances that the President ha
seen fit to make on the matter OF tn
league to the effect that the Senate an,
neople of the United States must eithe
accept the project in whole or no peac
will follow. on this point the repor
declares that il is uncomfortable tina
Great Britain. France and Italy coul
combine to coercc America into accept
ing a defective and objectionable consti
tuition for a League of Nations an
thereby needlessly run the risk of al
fronting the people OF the United States
In this competition the - "rt quotes fror
the speech of the President at the Metro
politan Opera House on the evening O
March 4, the day before he returned I
France, in which he said:
when that treaty comes back gentle
men on this side will find the covenan
not only in II, but SO many threads O
the treaty tied to the covenant that 70
cannot dssect the covenant from III
treaty without destroying the whole vita
structure"
If that be done, the report points ou'
in the face of tho resolution signed b
majority of the United States Senat
the responsibility for the failure OF retec
ton OF the treaty will not rest upon III
Senate.
Continuing the report draws atten+io
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