The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-10-10
SENATOR LODGE
 UNABLE TO GET STRONG SUPPORT
Republican Convention in Massachusetts Fails to
 Give Desired Backing.
BLOW TO LEADER
 OF LEAGUE OPPOSERS
May Be Less Strenuous In Leading League Fight
 Hereafter.

Washington. Oct. 10-Repueaean nevspapers and individuals that have been urging destructive amendments to the peace treaty are forced to concedp that members. of Senator Lodges party in his own state AIassachusetts-did not go far enough in their position to approve his stand as an outright defeatist,
 Senator Lodge journeyed to Mas sachusetts before the convention opened, was present at it's dellbera- tions and addressed its members, ut tering at the same time a mixture of glorffcation and defense of his hos tiIity to the treaty, but seemingly he was unable to accomplish a complete repudiatlon of the fact now before the Senate,
 The New York Tribune, in an edi- zorial review of the conventions pro nouncegnent. was compelled to note that in declaring for ratification of the treaty without amendments, it did not go as far as Senator Lodge has gone"
 Democrats In Washington are not pretending that the action of the Massachusetts Republicans was an approval of the treaty, but they are sharing with many Republican critics
  Senator Lodges proposals for amend ments that would spell defeat and moreover was distinct and unnl1s taksbIe refusal to accept his leader ship in that direction.
 Commentators point out that Sena- tor Lodge has been regarded as the Republican leader of those Senatorial forces which have been fighting to kill the treaty. It was assumed MT. Lodge had some assurance that at least the Republican organization of his own state was in complete sym pathy with his program, The reve- Iations at the state convention are taken to indicate ha he has not been able to dictate his party's policy in his own state while all the time he was attempting to lead the Senators of other CoumOnwealths,
 It is believed here tha Republican SenattrB who have been following MT. Lodge along the path to outright rejection of the treaty will be in Tuenced by the outcome of the Mas sachusctts convention. These Sena- tors, 1t is felt, will begin to question whether the Republican organiza- lions of their respective states are not quite as much opposed to amend rnents and other devices which would kill the treaty as are the Republicans of Nfassac chusetts. With Senator Lodge reminded by the leaders of Massachusetts that they are unwill- ing to adopt or 1nCorse his course he will have some difficulty in persuad- ing Republican Senators from the Middle West to take their cue from him
 No one on the Democratic side of 3he fight expects that Senator Lodge will openly reconcile his position in the Senate with that of the Repub- Ecans of NTassa chusetts as expressed in the declarations of their con ~% gton, but on the other hand, no one would be surprised if he Is less stren- uous hereafter in his endeavors to ca joIe or command other Republican Senators to do more than his own po- litical associates and workers are vii ling to do
 If the Massachusetts convention has not re0uked Senator Lodge---and no Democrat here places that construc- ton on it's resOlution---it is neverthe- less considered a fair deduction that 1T has put a brake on his further ef- forts to go the whole length of amend ing the treaty.
 It is no secret that ", Murray Crane, former Republican colleague ot MT Lodge in the Senate, is frankly and actively at odds with the latter's policy with respect to the treaty. For 1ner Senator Crane has more thar once publicly stated that the politica, future Of the Republican party de pendS on. the immediate ratification of the treaty of peace" MT. Crant recently visited Washington to make known his convictions to Senator Lodge and to urge the latter to cease his obstruction
 In an interview with a correspond ent of the Boston Herald, a stand-pa Republican organ Senator I1odg said. following his conference with hi former colleague. that MT Cranes ad vice didn't disturb me in the least. The relatively moderate attitude o the Republican party of Massachusett Is held, however, to be much more Concurrence with former Senate. Crane than with Senator Lodge.
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