Evening star., 1919-02-27
LEAGUE OPPOSERS
ARE NOT S|LENCED
Will Continue Fight in Senate
and House Until Congress
Adjourns.
DEMOCRATS TO REPLY

Renewed discussion of the league
of nations today in Capitol cloak
rooms and corridors followed the
White House dinner conference last
night. at which President Wilson
outlined the reasons upon which he
predcates his belief that the future
peace of the world rests upon such
an organization.
Republicans opposed to the league
plan. however, apparently had not
changed their views, and they will
continue to voice their opposition in
the Senate until Congress adjourns
next TUESDAY. There will be replies
from the democratic side, Senator
Hitchcock, chairman of the foreign
relations committee, planning to
speak briefly late today. Senator
Lodge. the republican floor leader,
who will speak tomorrow, had COM
pleted preparation of his address.
Stimson Warns Republicans.
Every republican senator has re-
ceived a copy of a letter written to
\
national committee by Henry L. Slim
son, who was Secretary of War from
1911 to 1918, urging the republicans
not to offer party resistance to the
league of nations plan. Col. Stimson
has recently returned from active
service in France
Il feel that it would be a lamentable
mistake for the republican party to
drift into a position of mere opposition
to the idea of a league of nations
wrote Col. Stimson in his letter. AS
a matter of party policy | think that
an obstructive or merely negative at
titude would be disastrous. You can
not beat an affirmative with a mega
tive. A defensive defense is not worth
a straw either in war or politics.
Should State Objections.
and even if we have legitimate
grounds for opposing a particular
proposition now sponsored by Mr..
Wilson, we should not meet it by a
mere policy of opposition toward any
league. but by stating frankly and
openly the kind of action we think
could and should be taken and by
stating it in time for it to be of as
sistance in the deliberations of the
peace conference. To offer criticisms
Of detail after they are too late to be
adopted is as bad as opposing the
entire program,
ny. NtiffscIssa letter then goes to
argue in detail and at length in behalf
of league Of nations plan. s
No Expression on Draft Sought.
Details OF the Presidents conference
continued to develop today in the dis
cussions between the White House
guests and other members of Congress.
One of the developments was the ap-
parent certainty that the President
does not wish, and administration lead
ers in the Senate will not endeavor, to
secure any formal expression at this
time on the tentative draft. No reso-
luton of Endorsement, therefore. is ex-
pected now to be brought before the
Senate.
Some republicans who were at the
conference stated today that the
Presidents discussion emphasized the
need for amendment of the tentative
draft to establish precisely many i'm
portant principles beyond controversy
or question.
President Wilson, it was understood
today, did not venture any predictions
as to when peace would eventually be
established, but informed the commit
tee members that he was straining
every nerve toward the conclusion of
peace, adding that every day of delay
increased the danger of complications,
especially in Germany.