The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-08
muster enough votes to effect the d.
vorce."
Lodge Hopeful of Defeat.


Lodge Hopeful of Defeat.
Senator Lodges closest confdants
among the Senators say he strongly be-
lieves the covenant will be defeated un-
less reservations on highly material
points are adopted Senator Curtis,
whose business as whip is to know more
than anybody else about the inside work
mgs OF Senatorial minds, when asked
his own view on that point, said: You
can guess as well as / whether the
thirty-nine who signed the round robin
will stand hitched. l do know that there
are four or FIVE Senators who a month
or so ago were for the covenant, and
are now opposed to It unless reserVa-
tons are adopted"
There Is much discussion about the
attitude that 4 President Wilson may be
expected to assume toward the Senate
at the opening of the great ratification
fight. Some of his supporters have ex-
pressed the hope, even the belief, that
he will adopt a more conciliatory and
notifying attitude, In the hope OF APP
peasing Senatorial resentment and gain
ing support But 1t Is notable that the
opponents of ratification don expect
anything Of the sort Rather they think
Mr.. Wilson's attitude wiz be just as
heretofore.
Senator Borah indicated mild inter-
est in stories that Secretary Lansing
would be assigned as liaison officer to
maintain touch between the White House
and the Senate.
''The treaty" he said, will have to
be judged by what appears on its face.
The motives back OF 1t are immaterial to
me. The courts, or the council at Geneva,
never will consider what was intended
by the men who wrote the instrument
they will consider what Is written In II.
Suppose, for instance. Secretary Lansing
comes to us and tells us there was
tacit understanding with Japan that she
ultimately would retire from the SHAM
tung. The answer is, Then why doesn't
the document say so?' That's the only
thing we can deal with.
VIII Press n PartyIssue.
For myself. I shall keep hammering
in the effort to have this made party
question; to line up the Republican party
against the league. don't know whether
there will be an effort to get q Repub-
lican conference on the subject, for
don't care much about conferences any
how. Anyhow. 1t is already regarded
by the country as a party matter. The
Democratic national chairman, Mr.. Cum
mings, is making II one with all the
He has been calling In newspaper owners
and important people and telling them
this is party fight
II know 1t. because my information
comes from newspaper men. who. though
Democrats. are opposed to the league.
and have been told 1t is n party AFFAIR
and that in fighting 1t they are fighting
their own party. In Spokane, Mr.. Cum
mings said, the Democrats were n unit
for the league and that the Republicans
would better come in out of the wet.
with the Democratic President and
the chairman OF the national committee
making a party issue of 1t, what more
evidence do we need? And II the check
books Of the international bankers were
burned up the Republicans would be
against 1t soon enough. 1 am not men
tioning names of my colleagues, but
there are Democrats here who have eS-
pressed deep regret that they cannot
oppose the league. They say they can't
because the President and the party are
now committed to II"
Mr.. Borah. asked II lie had been in
vited to the White house for Wednesday
evening. said ne had not and did not eX-
pect to he. When the President. on the
eve of his return trip to Europe early in
the spring. invited the Foreign Relations
Committeeman to the White House. Mr.
Borah declined.