Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-29
PUBLIC WANT
QUICKACTION
UPON
Lawrence Analyses Re-
suits of the Presidents
Speaking Tour.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The Argus.)

(NOIE .-Ih1S IS the QrSL OF \
series of three articles analyzing
the effect of President wilson's 8
transcontinental tour and an incl
dental observation of social, indus
trial and political conditions
throughout the trip.
Washington, D. c., Sept. 29.-No
two correspondents on President
Wilson's train would agree as to
the effect on the senate of President
Wilson's appeal for an immediate
ratification of the peace treaty and
League of Nations, but out of the
20 men representing newspapers
of different political creeds, the
majority, in fact all, would prob
ably agree that in at least one
place-California - the president
not only got an enthusiastic re-
sponse from the people, but the
friendliest kind of support from Re
pUblicans hitherto counted as the
staunchest supporters of the man
who is the chief opponent of the
treaty-Senator Hiram Juhnson.
Result Not Clear Elsewhere.
With respect to many other
states, the truth is the issue be-
tween those who favor the league
and those who oppose it was SO
vaguely drawn as to make it almost
impossible to say with certainty
how much of the demonstration for
the president was respectful COM
mendation for the indefatigable
labors of the man while in public
Office and how much was an ex-
preston of support of the ideas he
was expounding. Street crowds
appeared awestruck in some cities,
mildly enthusiastic in others and
wildly almost franticaIIy glad in
other cities to see the president
and do him honor.
Owing to the limited size of the
halls, auditoriums, theatres and
areas where the president spoke,
relatively few people, perhaps not
more than 10000 were able to get
within earshot. The great majority
of the American people read Mr..
Wilson's speeches in the newspa-
pers either in full text or summary.
At the outset of the trip, the presi-
dents utterances were carried in
full on the press association wires
but later on as he crossed the con-
tinent, only excerpts were sent
eastward.
Too Late for the Press.
Unfortunately for the president.
the best speeches he made were on
the Pacific coast from which place,
owing to the three hours difference
the central and eastern time belt
&C.
while night speeches made in sew
eral cities in California, Oregon,
Washington and Montana would
surely arrive too late for morning
newspapers and thus were hardly
reported at all. The unwritten rule
in newspaper Offices that 'yester-
days happening" is old news mill
tated against a repetition of the
presidents speeches to any length
in the afternoon newspapers of the
next day. So the bulk of the pres
ident's argument hasvnot been pub
lished though collection of
these speeches is being printed in
the senate records and an effort |
will be made to have them reach |
the people as public documents.
said unfortunately for the |
president" because he made his |
clearest arguments while on the |
Pacific coast. He made the most |
effective exposition of his ca>
only after he got further west and |
seemed 20 warm up to his subject |
and really take cognizance of the |
to the covenant around /
which public opinion was begin
ming to crystalize. 1t was not until |
he reached Spokane, for instance.
that he tackled the question of why !
Great Britain should have six votes
in the assembly to Americas one.
He didn't touch specifically on res
ervations till he reached Montana.
The president was educated as he !
went westward. He learned what
had been implanted in
the public mind.
His Argument Is Brief.
In a nutshell, here is the sub
stance of the main arguments made
by the president for the passage of
the treaty and the League of Ma
tons:
America conscripted a large
army. raised billions of dollars,
sacrificed thousands of lives not
merely to beat Germany but to pre-
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