Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-01
|FERNALD STAND
SHOCKS WILSON
President Resents Maine Sem
ator's Declaration Covenant
Lacks Americanism

Washington, Aug. 1. - A climax
in the series of White House inter-
views with Republican Senators was
reached when Senator Fernald
frankly told the President that the
League of Nations covenant was
lacking in Americanism, and that
this particular shortcoming in the
product of the Paris conference was
the real reason behind all the Re-
publican opposition.
The conversation with the Maine
Senator marked the first actual clash
between the President and the op-
position. Heretofore all the amen
tiles have been preserved, and while
in no case productive of a convers-
ion or even the shadow of a turning
on the part of members of the G. o.
p, the calls at the White House
proceeded along lines of tolerance.
1t remained for the Down Easter to
break the rule and speak his mind
with perhaps more fervor than kind
illness.
The greeting between the Presi-
dent and Senator Fernald was of the
most cordial character. Both gem
tlemen were delighted at the oppor-
tunity for an interchange of views,
they said. But Senator Fernald
plunged right into the interview with
a statement to the President that
although he was honored at the
opportunity for a chat and would be
glad to talk with the President as
to the experience of himself and his
encourage at Paris and in Europe
generally, and would be pleased to
hear the Presidents views, he was
not in an attitude of mind to be
convinced of the falsity of his posi-
tlon as to the necessity for vital
reservations tantamount to amend
mentS to the league covenant.
42 Others Behind Him
And Furthermore, Mr.. President"
continued Senator Fernald, this
position of mine is that of no less
than forty-two other members. of
the Senate"
The President looked bit
shocked at the frankness of Mr..
Fernald, but said he had hoped to
be able to convey some information
to him which might make clearer
the situation and more understand
able the position which the Admin
istration had taken with regard to
amendatory action.
Mr.. Ferna1d said that that would
be useless. He said he appreciated
the Presidents desire for the clari-
hcation of councils, but that he had
been applying himself assiduously to
the closest sort of study of the sit
uation for months. He had perused
with the greatest care every docu-
ment and speech in and out of the
senate dealing with the situation.
he had studied the peace pact and
the league covenant and had neg
iected nothing in the matter of scru-
tlniz1ng every word the President
nlnself mad written or uttered on the
subject. He went on to say that if
at any time doubts arose in his
mind or that he came to feel that
information from the President was
essential to him he would not hesi-
tate to seek an engagement at the
White House for a further inter-
view.
Seemingly the President was dis
pleased at the apparent fixed atti-
tude of Senator Fernald. He told
MIN that he had assumed there were
at ieast sixty men in the Senate who
TOOK "a world view of the present
crisis in affairs
Ihat is exactly what at least
Sixty men in the Senate do take" re-
plled Senator Fernald, hut tbair
world view includes in it's scope the
Onlted states of America"
me president terminated the in
leFVleW almost imm iateIv