The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-06-18
INTERVIEW WITH
PRESIDENT WILSON
Continued from page II

two weeks hence to write the plat
form and nominate the standard-bear-
ers OF our party. / should not want
to express my preference or opinion
regarding either individuals or plat
form expression which might influ-
ence the minds of men whose votes
| will ultimately decide both"
! Gladly Welcome Referendum.
! by Raymond Clapper. United Press
| Staff Correspondent
| WASHINGTON, June 18.-The re-
publican party will gladly accept the
! challenge Of President Wilson for
referendum on the league OF nations,
Senator Warren G. Harding. republi-
can presidential nominee, said today.
The republican attitude or pre-
served nationality" will be over
,whelmingly endorsed. Harding pre-
dicted in his comment on the inter
view with President Wilson, secured
by the New York World
Asked regarding the presidents
interview, Harding said:
Il am sure the republican party
will gladly welcome a referendum on
the question of the foreign relation
ship of this republic, and the repuO-
lican attitude of preserved nation
ality will be overwhelmingly en-.
dorsed."
Treaty as Issue.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 1S.-Mem-
bers Of the democratic national com
mittee and the few delegates already
here for the national convention
seemed ready today to accept the
plan of President Wilson to make the
treaty uppermost in the presidential
campaign.
Their impression has been all along
that the treaty would be the issue.
Talk of possible denomination or
President Wilson for a third term has
not appeared in the open, howeve-.
Statistics prepared by the national
committee show that the great body
Of delegates is uninstructed. This
fact has added to the uncertainty
the convention.
OF the states and territories listed
in the committees sheet, only eleven
are sending instructed delegates TO
the convention.
None Of these is instructed for
President Wilson.
The instructed delegations follow:
Oklahoma, 20 delegates instructed
for Owen; Iowa, 26 for Meredith;
South Dakota. 10 for Gerard: North
Carolina, "a for Simmons; Nebraska,
is for Hitchcock; New Jersey, % for
Ohio. 49 for Cox: Ken
lucky, rs for Cox; Pennsylvania, IS
for Palmer; Virginia, "a for Glass;
Oregon, 10 for McAdo-.
Reports from the various states list
many of the uninstructed delegations
as favoring one candidate or another,
but they are free to do as they please
at the convention.
Wilson Has Taken Offensive.
WASHINGTON, June 1s.-Presi-
dent Wilson has taken the offensive
for his policies at the start OF the
presidential campaign, cabinet Oft
GERS and administration senators said
here, today.
In wilson's interview IN the New
York Morning World, they said, he
has not only pointed out the course
he believes the democrats should fol-
low in the presidential campaign, but
he has thrown down the gage to his
opponents in his own party.
Should the democrats at San Fran
cisco pussyfoot on the league, Wilson
has left hanging over them the poy-
sibi1ity of his candidacy for third
term. Democrats as well as republi-
cans here noted that the president
has not repudiated such a possibility.
were ready, to comment
on it. Democrats were nor.
The gage to the presidents den1c-
cratic opponents, his supporters said.
$osr in a
he was as confident today as I was
when / returned from Paris finally
in July last that the people of not
only America but OF the entire world
are in favor of the league Of nations"
and also when he declared the Amerl-
can people want referendum or
league issue above anything else
political party now may provide
In his official family these utter
ances were interpreted as meaning
that Wilson believes the republican
party cannot escape the league issue
and that the democratic party will
have failed the country if It does not
take a positive stand for the league
When Wilson declared the pro-
cesses by which the Chicago platform
was accomplished it seemed to me
to have been essentially "Prussian
inspiration and method and later re
fused to comment on the republican
candidates, he outlined the democrn-
tic campaign according to administra-
ton views.
This course is an attack on the re-
publican platform with the incidental
statement that the nominees fit the
platform.
There was also rejoicing among
democrats that Wilson had refrained
from indicating choice for any