The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-23
IN CAPITAL
TRYING TO LINE
Up REPUBLICANS
Party Leader Seeks to Un-
tangIe Co. Workers in Their
Differences Over Status of
League of Nations,
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Che News SeImItar's Special Core.
s%pondent)

WASHINGTON. June 2s.-win Hays,
chairman OF the Republican national
committee, has come to town for a
mohth stay. 1t a. that the &C
nv manager or director of the political
fortunes or the Republican party has
Gun II necessary to abandon other
tasks and observation trips and nut
his whole attention and mind on the
status OF Republicanism In the new
congress.
He would not come down here II
things were going smoothly, harmoni-
ously n successfully, and the ma
chihery needed no stimulus, for his
place usually is outside Of Washington
telling folks what the Republican party
IN congress Is doing and why they
should rally to its support.
But the truth is things are not 60
ing too well inside the Republican party,
and win Hays, alert, adroit, diplomatic
and tactfui person that he is, has ar
rived not exactly to dictate-for he
never dictates-but to talk things over
and give the men in congress some of
the ideas which he has been gathering
In his talks with the folk back home,
AS chairman of the Republican ma
tlonal committee he has a right to vol
uhteer ADVICE, and as members Of con-
Eress interested in the Republican
party's rise or fall, they have a right
TO accept or reject it.
Republican Beginning.
For a new party pledged to reduce
expenditures and stop the so-called
ownership, the Republicans In ngr
nave made a snappy beginning. They
nave passed the woman suffrage
amendment, cut down appropriations
right and left, including sums for the
army and navy, which establishments
are not going to be needed right away,
Judging from the appropriately of armed
strife In the world. and they have about
returned the telegraph and telephone
lines to their owners.
But, while attending to domestic
policy, they shave got contemporaneous-
y, into 2 tangle over foreign policy.
There's the rub. And foreign policy ia
the most conspicuous issue before the
people, especially with President Will
son ready to come back and throw
the weight of his influence into the
fight.
Murmurs are heard at the capitol
from among those Republicans who
analysis of the state of public opinion
their leaders. Criticism of Sena-
tor Lodge is mingled with criticism
Of Senator Knox, Senator Borah and
Senator Johnson all of whom are play
ing a prominent part in the league of
nations r' ...
Former President Taft is begging the
Republicans to get together and stay
together. AS a Republican away from
the passion and atmosphere of the SEN
ate, he sees danger in making the
league Of nations a partisan question.
Presumably win Hays sees the same
danger. He is down here to conciliate
and draw together. . y
Summed up, the Republican situation
seems to be this: Senator Lodge set
out In his debate with former President
Lowell to give the impression that he
favor the league of nations cove
with certain changes. Elihu Roots
letter to VIII Hays gave the Republican
even more Complementary,
Then came cablegrams in the press
from Paris saying the Monroe doctrine
had been specifically mentioned and
safeguarded, and Republican senator's
admitted privately that hardly a hand
full of senators would be found voting
against the covenant on either side of
the political aisle in the senate. But
the senate convened and committee as
and seniority troubles
the solidarity Of the Repub-
lican party.
Extreme opponents of the league of
nations, like Senator'S Borah and John
Republicans, had to be kept from
over the traces completely by
"ihhio " WIG AOi oNIalOI ICAiuSC anu
throwing the senate ~organiza-
ion into the hands of the Democrats.
Lodge, as leader of his party, en-
1eavored to keep the Western Progress
in line. Senator Borah issued ultl- /
natum after ultimatum-the league
should not pass, The Massachusetts
eader began making concessions.
And now the common, belief at the
is that the Western opponents |
# the league have dragged Lodge far
her away from the original Republican
than he really wanted or in 1
ended to go.
Along comes Senator Knox, too, with
resolution to separate the league from
he peace treaty and the move receives
iuch widespread condemnation as an
extremist proposal and dangerous to
negotiations themselves that in
tinctively the Republicans recoil.
Knox Resolution.
If the Knox resolution were to come
o a vote today 1t could not pass. The
republicans don't want to have a vote
ceiling that 1t would hurt their pres
ige. The story goes that they never
to have 1t pressed to a vote.
he circumstances would seem to JUS
ify such an inference. A couple of days
fter the Knox resolution was reported
avorably by the senate foreign rela-
ons committee, Senator Lodge him