New-York tribune., 1919-09-08
Public Opposes Covenant
Now, but Future Will
Vindicate His Policy,De-
clares Arizona Senator
Situation Compared
Cleveland's Time
Article X Is Hopelessly
Beaten, He Admits; Mas
Hope for Shantung
By Carter Field

w AOn tINNl YIN, sept. I.-PreSldcnt
Wilson's defeat on the treaty issue was
conceded by several important Demo-
cratic Senators tonight. The Presi-
dents programme of putting the treaty
through without either reservations or
amendments will not muster more than
twenty y-seven votes, Senator Henry +.
Ashurst. Democrat, Of Arizona. con-
ceded after q careful canvass
"The future is what President Will
son must look to for his vindicaton," :"
Senator Ashurst declared at may
be that twenty-five years from now
we will be saying, would to God we
could have one moment of Woodrow
Wilson,, just as many of us who fought
Grover Cleveland during his second
Administration have frequently said
since, Would to God we could have one
more hour of Grover Cleveland!' But
that is not true now, and it will not
be true by 1920, am afraid
Sentiment Against Treaty
Mr.. Ashurst believes that public
sentiment in the country is overwhe1m-
ingly against the treaty. He believes
that any Senator who votes for it with
out radical reservations is threatening
his political future, and that is why he
does not think it viii be possible to
ratify the treaty as the President de-
sires.
"The treaty will be ratified" Senator
Ashurst said, "but in a form where it
will amount to very little. Article X
of the covenant, without which the
will be stricken out. I do not think
the Shantung amendment will prevail,
however. 1t is question: as, the
American people see this thing, of
whether they will throw this country
into the international whirlpool with
the hope Of saving civilization, and
thus risking our own national exist
ence.
"Now, it may be that there is such
grave danger of Bolshevism spreading
throughout the world that we will bit
terly regret at some time in the future
that we did not make the sacrifice now
l have feeling that this is true, but it
will be of no avail at the next election,
nor for some time. We may be winning
elections about 1910 on the strength Of
Woodrow Wilson's memory, but not in
the near future"
Ashurst for Reservations
Senator Ashurst has been counted
on to support reservations by some Of
the Democrats who preceded him in
publicly announcing their intentions
for some time. He makes the list Of
Democrats who have come out for
rese rvations stand: Reed, Gore,
Thomas, Walsh, Of Massachusetts; !;
Shields, Hoke Smith, Simmons, Over
man and Asnurst. These ill prob
son D.. Smith, of South Carolina, and
Myers, of Montana, within few days.
Senator Myers will introduce direct
textual amendments, as will Senator
Thomas, to the labor sections of the
peace treaty. 1t is understood that
the direct amendments to these labor
sections will muster considerable
vote despite the fact that the Foreign
Relations Committee would not ap-
prove them when proposed by Senator
Fall, of New Mexico.
Some of the Democratic Senators 20
so far as to say that no Senator who
votes to ratify the peace treaty can
be reelected when he comes up, no
matter whether this is 1920, 1922 or
1924. Those who expect change of
sentiment toward the whole thing, as
pointed out by Senator Ashurst, look
forward a generation and not a few
years.
A Democratic Senator even went sc
far as to concede that he did not be-
lieve any Democrat could be elected
President in 1920 because the people
would "hold the Democratic party re.
sponsible for the attempt to put Amer
lea in the international pot in the hope
of saving foreign countries, which mos
of our people do not care anything
about"
Backfire Plan Failure
1t is very evident, from the attitude
of Senators, that the President ha:
not accomplished ANYTHING in the di
rection of building backtires under the
Senate with the idea of compelling i
to do what the President desires.
Since Mr.. Wilson left town there has
been almost landslide against the
President in the upper house On th5
day of his first speech the Foreign Re
latlons Committee voted to report the
treaty with reservation on Article
far stronger than anything so far pro
posed-much stronger even than the
proposal of ex-senator Root to strike
it out altogether so far as the United
States is concerned. because the reser
vation of the committee. as the milo
reservationists have pointed out, de
clares policy of non-interference IN
stead of mere refusal to be bount
either legally or morally to make war
Since Mr.. Wilson left town the mum
ber of Democrats counted on to vot
with the majority of the Republican,
for reservations has grown SO large a
to render almost unimportant the posi-
tion of the so-called "mild reserva
tionists." Some of the Senators for
. merly classed in that general group
notably Kenyon and Capper, have com
: out flatfootedly for the reservation
proposed by the committee. Senate
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