The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-11-27
WILL
NOT MAKE TREATY
CAMPAIGN ISSUE
G. 0. P. Cohorts Now Say
Lodges Statement Was
Made Without Consulting
Hays.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Correspondent Of The Neuc.
Selmltar.O

WASHINGTON. Nov. 27-The D..
publican party viii not tske. tha inIti-
awe IN making the treaty OF peace and
league OF nations a party issue
IN the 1920 campaign. senator
Louke has been misunderstood Moi
Shly IN MS statement Of a week ago TO
~ nesAraed as an individual expression,
.ssued without consultation With viii
Rays, Republican national chairman
ana other leading Republicans both In
side the senate n outside Of III hut
lhe purpose he had In mind was not 10
lose the door to compromise, but to
,hsist that those reservations which he
NIoWs as having Amerieanized the
treaty be retained In any ratifyins reso-
iuIIon which Is ultimately passed.
Ihe foregoing constitutes the position
~ the republican party as just outlined
20 me by the men who have the say IN
rs councils, 1t is hopeful new because
II means that the Republican party Ia
not going to allow considerations on
partisan politics TO govern rs attitude
Nheh congress reconvenes next Monday
and receives again from President VIII
son a copy Of the treaty for action.
Conferred With Hays.
The true story OF that statement is
sue by Senator Lodge as the turbulent
session OF the senate adjourned last
week can nov be told. Senator Lodge
mad been In frequent conference with
WIN Hays. Together they had dis
cussed the various moves which were
made In the last night session. HAYS
was deeply interested in party solidar-
Ivy, he was gratified with the way the
Republicans united more than once on
fundamental questions. But he left
washington sorry that the treaty had
not been ratified In some form,
Nothing was said to him before he
left concerning the statement TO be is
sued by Senator Lodge, nor was II In
ment. Nevertheless, the editorial press
has so regarded II, and some newspa
bers have gone so far as to say that
Senator Lodge committed by his state.
ment the same blunder that President
wilson did In his election appeal In
november 1918, when the war was sti1l
What Senator Lodge meant incl
dentally may have been subjected to
the same unfortunate misconstruetion
as the position President Wilson took
was In the campaign days, when he
was being accused Of favoring a soft
neace with Germany, But the fact is
that the Massachusetts senator's state
ment must be taken In the light OF what
mad been happening In the senate, and
not as an Isolated expression Of a
purely partisan purpose.
The Democrats had been consistently
opbosins senator Lodge
anu his coheaeue insisted that 1t would
pc . surrender OF american sovereignty
70 pass an resolution OF rat
hIcathoh. he viewed the reservations
as 30 necessary that he was willing to
leave II to the people to decide In the
next campaign, II the Democrats insist
Gu on their own position.
Toward Compromise.
but since the congress adjourned, II
has oeen apparent that the Democrats
nave come over 70 the Republican Pc
sltion 70 the extent OF iaVoring q reso-
autloh OF ratliication with reservations
Inc democrats nave SHOWN a distinct
ueelte 70 dispose o! the question Inn
nleulately' q not leave ~ 70 the cam
palgn OF ls2u. 80 the initiative In
mAklnB the treaty q partisan campaign
Irsue VIII mo- be taken by either side,
Lhst means compromise. But II also
Hleails thal the R~epuplcans VIII insist
~ tne pemoerats snow conclusively
and wherein shsi thew pes can bs CHANGED Sre i 20 az
not 70 sacrifice the principles which the
nenuolicans nave stood Tor,
CIearly,, the Republicans would like
" nave the democrats TAKE the mitia-
i've IN ths compromising process.
am ussureu tnat tne hepuDlcans VIII
not move inc treaty out OF the commit
tee on Iorelgn relations unless they
nave 2 uefinlte understanding with the
l,emocrats as 70 the character OF the
compromise. Pride VIII not stand In
the way OF pemocratic .oVertures, no
matter hnW diGf1QfAfMl that NAV hA