Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-16
TRAGEDY CASTS
PAIL ON WILSON
TOUR IN OREGON
Accident Mars Visit, But
President Finds State
Is for League.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial to The ArguS.)

broke in on the presidential party
~ Portland and its tragic impress
put President Wilson in no mood
for speech-making. Reluctantly did
he carry out his program Of two
speeches in Portland. No other ad
dresses were scheduled until to-
morrow at San Francisco and the
presidential party leaves Oregon
with depressed spirits and down
cast hearts. The people here greet
ed the president enthusiastically,
and but for the accident the visit
to Oregon might have been one Of
the most triumphant of the whole
tour.
Oregon for Leagne.
For sentiment in Oregon is un-
IGestiOnaOiy IN favor Of the League
of Nations. Even so staunch ami
influential a newspaper as the
Portland Orc gOnian. whose Repub-
licanism is beyond doubt and whose
support of the Republican presi-
dental ticket in 1912 and 1916 cef-
tainly reveals no especial desire to
advance the political fortunes OF
Woodrow Wilson. is fighting vigor-
ously for the ratification of the
peace treaty and did not hesitate
recently TO critiCise Senator
/ Lodges report on the ground that
it picked flaws in the treaty and
did not have anything to say about
its affirmative value The Oregon
ian sees no objection to reseTva-
tiOns, but as between a peace
treaty and league to which no res
| eTyatiOns are attached and none dt
all. its desire would appear to be
unqualified adoption of the pact
/ The Oregon Journal which is own
ed by Charles S Jackson. who was
the presidents host in Portland. is
( of course supporting the covenant
and the Portland Telegram. the
third daily of importance. is sup
porting the league, but wants res
eryations. Not long ago one of
these newspapers conducted a
straw vote and $4,000 people voted
! for the league. as against a few
! hundred against. Senator McNary.
Republican. has from the outset
expressed himself in favor of the
: league and is one of the leading
members of the sO-callcd mild
reservations" group whose friend
| fast throughout the controversy.
| Senator Chamberlain. Democrat, is
standing by the president.
Want Peace. and Want 1t Now.
/ Both Of OregOn's senators. there
fore. are following pretty closely
the trend of opinion in their state.
and it is the judgment of unbiased
men who know OregOD'S affairs
| thoroughly that if the reservations
: proposed in the senate mean any
amendment or prolonged negotia-
tion to get the acquiescence of 9th
er powers. the people would gen
orally favor the unqualified adop-
/ tiOn of the covenant. But the i'm
/ preston prevails that it should not
he difficult to bring the European
powers into agreement, especially
/ if they are as anxious as it is said
they are to secure the partnership
Of America.
President Wilson is still fighting
the Reeds and the Borahs and the
JohnsOns who are trying directly
or indirectly to kill the league and
treaty but in Oregon there is alb
solutely no sympathy with that at
titude There is far more interest
in why Mr. Wilson opposes reser-
vatiOns than in the arguments OF
those who see no value at all in
the numerous provisions of the
covenant and treaty. The Oregon
attitude is also against the drastic
reservations. for by whatever
name changes are called. it is
clear that the people do not want
to run the risk of further parley
and conference abroad.
Pride Selves on League support.
The president was therefore in
the arms of friends while he stay
ed in Portland. The city turned
out in scant numbers in the early
morning when he arrived. but
crowded the streets and auditor
ium where he spoke at night Mr..
Wilson had not been here since
1911 when he was governor of
New Jersey and he laughingly told
his audience that it was in Oregon
that he became converted to the
practicability of the initiative and
referendum. reform against
which he said he had lectured
WI ME d pIOLSoSOI III T luCCtOH hhi +.
versity.t Folks with whom we talk
ed prided themselves on their
League OF Nations stand. declaring
that Oregon as leader in western
progressivism naturally favored an
international concert of power to
advance the progress of the whole
world With or without reserva-
tions. the people of Oregon want
to see the treaty ratified and the
league established.
Goes Into Foes Camp.
President Wilson turns now TO
California, another progressive
state. It. however, is represented
in the senate by one Hiram John
son, who has kept up a tiTat 2 of
criticism against both treaty and
the league from the very begin
ming. California. which gave Wilson
his reelection by a small majority,
is the battle-ground Of tomorrow.