The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-10-06
Republicans Declare He Wants
Third Term and Is Doing Ut
most to Force His Party to
Put Him Forward.
PRESIDENT DECLINES TO
DIVULGE INTENTIONS
That He May Withdraw Peace
Treaty From Senate Consider
alton in Case Unfavorable Ac-
tiOn, Intimated.
(ey GEORGE II. MANNINe.)

(By GEORGE n. MANNlNG)
Washington, d. c.. Oct. A.-Opinion
in political circles in Washington is
about equally divided on the question
of whether or not President Wilson
will offer himself as a candidats for
a third term.
Almost all the republicans stoutly
declare Mr.. Wilson wants a third term
and is doing his utmost to force his
party to put him forward.
A few democrats admit thai they
believe the president is angling for
another term, but the great ma jority
of Democrats claim he is not and as
sert the Republicans are using the
mention of his name in this connection
as a weapon to beat the League of
Nations.
Back of all is the fact thai Presi-
dent Wilson has studiously declined
to announce his intentions on the
four or five occasions that the ques-
ton was put to him point blank dur
ii5 Ills SPCahliiS5 AodA-
The presidents refusal to announce
his intentions has the Republicans
plainly worried, and has set the Dem
ocrats to deep thinking.
The senate Republicans, among
whom are half dozen prospective
candidates. appear inclined to accept
as worthy of belief the report that
President Wilson contemplates with
drawing the Paris peace treaty from
consideration by the senate. and go
ing before the people with it as a
third-term presidential candidate in
1920. if the senate should amend it
or insert what he considers "devital-
izing" reservations.
The senate Republicans, who are
showing more bitterness towards the
president, than has been exhibited in
many years by men of one party to-
wards a president of another, claim
thats President Wilson is selfishly
playing politics with the peace treaty
and attempting to maneuver in such
way as to make himself appear as
a martyr before the people and create
such political, national and inter-
national situation that he can use the
treaty episode as means of justify
ing the old tradition against more
than two successive terms for a presi-
dent of the United States.
Admirers of the president, however,
insist that he would not be so lacking
in foresight as to link the success of
the ratification of the peace treaty
with his candidacy for third term
as president, because the ombina ton
would not be strong enough to offset
hn krSv> - L. 80
nations; the country wide prejudice
against a third term and the bitter
personal animosities he has aroused.
The presidents democratic admirers
ascribe his refusal to declare himself
on the third term proposition to a de-
sire to harass the Republicans and
weaken their fight against the treaty.
The president will hold his an
nouncement that he will not be a can
didate for third term as his trump
card to play, when everything else has
failed, to bring about the passage of
the peace treaty, his close friends
quietly assert. They believe that such
an announcement, showing the presi-
dents apparent unselfish interest in
the treaty would be sufficient, as a
last resort, to bring about its adopt
tion in substantially its present FORM
Before the president went west on
his speaking tour the majority of his
closest friends believed that everything
had been 'tcut and dried for William
G. McAdoo to receive the support of
President Wilson for the democratic
nomination for president at the oppor-
tune time Up to that time there had
been little discussion of third term
for Mr.. Wilson and twas not until the
question was put to him directly and
persistently on his western tour that
the people began to seriously wonder IL
the president really intended to try for
a third term
The presidents closest friends be-
lieyed before he started west that 1t
was his plan to withhold his announce
ment that he would not be candidate
they firmly believed then that he
would not be a candidate and most OF
them think so now-until such time as
former Secretary McAdoo. the presi-
dents son-in- law, was ready to jump
right out for the nomination. and then
endorse McAdoo for the nomination, as
Theodore Roosevelt did with such sue
cess for William Howard Taft ten
years ago.
Many friends of President wilson
who do not entertain the belief that he
will run again view his present refusal
TO declare himself on that point as an
effort to keep all other democratic can
didates out of the ring urti' MIR NC
Adoo is ready to throw his Ea1 in