Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-14
CHANGE NOTED
IN OPINIONS ON
WORLD LEAGUE
Senate Inquiry indicates Wall
Street Not for Combined
Covenants; Canvass lndi-
Gates Tie Vote.
Bv JUSTIN M'GRATH.

Washington, June 13.-How does
Wall street stand on the peace
treaty now?
That was the question which was
being asked in Washington today.
The question became pertinent and
politically important in the minds
OF the Washington statesmen as a
result of the inquiry. held by the
senate committee to determine how
copies of the peace treaty came into
the possession of Wall street fnan-
ciers.
Before the inquiry yesterday opin-
ion practically was unanimous that
Wall street favored the ratification
of the treaty with the league of ma
tons covenant included. It was on
this understood attitude Of big
business and the declarations that
organized labor have made in favor
of the treaty that democratic conf
dence in the inability >of the senate
republican majority to prevent rati-
fcation rested.
Inquiry Raises Doubt.
Democratic leaders believed this
combination of big business and or
ganized labor would prove a
decisive influence.
But the senate inquiry has raised
much doubt as to whether the demo-
Gratis can rely upon big business
exerting its pressure in favor of the
ratification Of the covenant. 1t was
the senate republicans who uncov-
cred and made much of the fact that
Wall street interests had copies of
the treaty, while it was denied to the
senate and the people. Neverthe-
less, the spokesman for big business
at the inquiry, Messrs. Morgan,
Dawson, Vanderlip and Root, did
not resent the spreading Of the in
formation that Wall street had cops
les Of the treaty, but bitterly resent
ed suggestion that they possessed
these copies without right and prob
ably had obtained them through
bribery.
Vanderlip Takes Stand.
This was the democratic charge
and the republican senator's took
much care to make it clear to the
Wall street spokesman that the inn
pNtations against them were Of
democratic origin. The representa-
tivcs of big business at the inquiry
were plainly much more in sympa-
thy with the republican position
than they were with the democratic.
Moreover, their sympathy with
the republicans was not wholly a
matter of inference. Senator Knox
put this blunt question to Mr.. Van
derlip: DO you think we ought to
guarantee their (nations of Europe)
political independence and territor-
ial integrity IS part Of this
scheme?"
II do not" replied Mr.. vanderlip
emphatically.
The republicans regarded this re-
ply of Mr.. Vanderlip as clearly indi-
eating his opposition to the league
of nations covenant in its existing
form.
Abandon Original Plan.
The truth is the manifest dis
position of the big business spokes-
men to sympathize with the repub-
lican attitude changed the whole
course of the inquiry. The CORE
spondents generally were told the
evening before the inquiry that the
cross examination of Wall streets
representative would not be prin-
cipally to determine how they came
into the possession Of copies of the
treaty, but would Be conducted with
the view Of developing fully just
what Wall streets interest in the
treaty is. That announced intention
was abandoned. No, embarrassing
questions were asked the Wall street
spokesman. No attempt was made
to bring out the reasons why big
businss is in favor of the covenant
if it is. The nearest approach to
an attempt 10 ascertain Wall streets
views with respect to the treaty was
the question put by Senator Knox
to Mr.. vanderiip.
The explanation given Of this
change in the republican intention
is said to be the qualification which
the republicans found in the favor
able attitude Of the Spokesman for
big business at the inquiry of the
republican viewpoint
Begin Dehate Monday.