New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-07-27
l. cd ge Crews Fearful
as Republican Sem
ators Now Incline to
Annul Entire Covenant
I'VE Can Kill It, :
Declares Borah
President, in Letter to
Lodge, Asks Time to
Submit Parlev Data
NeU York Tribune
WASHINGTON Rur-ou

New York Tribmns
Washington Bureuu
WASHINGTON, July 26-Indications
tonight are that another test of
strength between Republicans who
would be satisfied with reservations to
the league of nations covenant and
those who want to kill the league is
developing. From position where al
most all the Republican Senators were
agreed on reservation programme
the situation has now developed to .
point where a group of Senators who
believe the league ought to be killed
Is gaming such strength that the out
look alarms Republican Leader Lodge.
Mr.. Lodge is known to be very in
dignant over the speech of Senator
Borah yesterday in the Senate. in
which he first attempted to prove that
reservations were valueless, pointing
as an illustration to the futility Of
reservations adopted by Virginia, New
York and Rhode Island when thew
ratified the Federal Constitution. and
then appealed to the Democrats to
stand firm against reservations.
The significance of Mr. Borah's
statement lies in the fact that strong
efforts have been made to secure the
word of Senators that they would vote
to reject the entire league and if nee.
essary the treaty unless reservations
should be obtained If the "Bitter
Enders," who want to kill the league.
1t Is pointed out, should succeed. by
Joining with the Democrats. in prevent
Ing reservations being made, Senators
who had entered such an agreement
would find themselves bound to vote
against the league.
Some Agree With Lodge
Some Senator'S who agree with Sem
ator Lodges position that the league
would be we'll worth a trial if proper
reservations safeguarding American in
terests could be obtained asserted to-
day that if Senators Borah, Hiram
johnson, Brandegee and others per-
sisted In their "wrecking" methods tho
Foreign Relations Committee would
report the treaty out without amend
ment or reservation, and throw the
entire fight on the Senate floor.
Senator Borah was non-committal an
to the strength Of the fight to smash
the league altogether when questioned
to-day as to this development
If we had time enough would state
positively that we could beat the whole
league idea," he declared Person
ally, of course, think the Republican
party must take a straight-out posi-
ton, one that the people can under
stand. The people know about en-
tangling alliances. They do not, in
my opinion, want any meddling by US
in European affairs.
Il am confident that the Republican
convention, in 1920. will have to fight
out the question, if the league is rati-
fed, Of adopting a plank calling for
this country to serve notice of its
withdrawal from the league. If the
league covenant has been rejected, of
course, the Democrats will probably
be forcing the fighting, charging US
with having defeated it, and then our
plank would be clear against entane-
ling alliances"
Calls Discussion Idle
Discussion about reservations is idle.
Mr.. Borah declared On Article X. to
which great opposition has developed,
he said, straight-out elimination would
not change the situation, since the
power of the league over the United
States and its right to use American
force to preserve foreign boundary
lines is implied just as much in Ar
ticle XII and also in Article ".
President Wilson to-day took heed
OF the storm which has been growing
IN the Senate as a result of his fail
ure to supply the Foreign Relations
Committee with the information i,
requested of him on July IS. He wrote
letter to Senator Lodge, in answer
to request for information with re-
gard to the agreement" for the divi-
sion among the Allied and associated
powers of the 2O,o0O,000 900 marks
about $5,000,0 100000, to be paid bv Ger,
many, referred to in Article 237 Of the
peace treaty. After stating that tho
aeIeemeht mad not been concluded
when he left Paris, Mr.. Wilson added.
as to the information requested by the
committee earlier, that he was going
over ms papers as rapidly as possible.
and must beg the committees indul,
gence for the delay in informing them
Nhe committee) which (of the papers)
l can supply them with"
This sentence was interpreted bv
Republican Senators tonight as indi.
eating clearly that the President did
not intend to give the committee sill
the information it had asked II has
oeen stated on the floor by Administra-
uon Leader Hitchcock that the COM
mittee would be supplied with ~.
american draft of the league of ma
tions covenant
Won't Reveal Protest
has been learned from another
eoUYcA that thA prne;I.uA