The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-05-12
SAY DEMOCRATS
WILL SWAT LEAGUE
Men High in Councils
Give Out Tip on
Convention
(By Universal Servlce)

SAN FRANCISCO.-Watch the
Democratic national convention at
San Francisco swat President Will
sons league of nations plans If a
demand Is made for an unqualified
endorsement of the treaty and league
as advocated by the president.
This is the tip that is being given
out here by men high in the coun-
ellis of the Democratic party. There
are growing signs which indicate
that the Democratic convention as
we'll as the Republican will refuse
to put plank jim the party's plat
form endorsing the league. If the
president insists upon an unreserved
endorsement of his fight for the trea-
ty, he is likely to find himself in
controversy which cannot possibly
end successfully for him.
The refusal of the New York state
Democratic convention to give ap-
prevail to a resolution calling for
unreserved ratification of the treaty
has the Democratic leaders guessing.
It has started a move that is likely
to gain in strength as the time for
the convention draws near. 1T will
take some pretty hard work on the
part of the presidents own support
ers in the convention to prevent the
party declaration from going against
him.
The New York Democrats follow
ed the precedent of the Rhode ISL
and Democrats, who, in their conven-
tion adopted strong resolution con-
demning article X which President
Wilson fondly calls the heart of the
covenant" Before the Rhode ISL
and Democrats acted, the Democrats
of Massachusetts had spoken in their
primary election by turning down
every candidate for delegate to the
convention who did not come out
with an absolute condemnation of
the league of nations scheme. Sem
ator David Walsh, who fought the |!
president on the issue, was elected |
at the head Of the convention tick
ct by a surprising majority.
1t is already known that the Re-
publican plank on the treaty will be
merely denunciation of the league
plan as formulated by President !
Wilson and an endorsement for the
Republican majority in the SEN
ate for preventing the treaty from
being ratified. The plank will con-
tain no mention of reservations and
will afford no comfort to those SEN
ators who hoped that their advoca
cy of the reservation plan would be
given approval by the convention.
Some of the irreconcilable oppo-
nents of the treaty, notably Senator
Borah, would like to have the plan
go further than that and contain
an absolute decision against both
the treaty and the league. But it is
believed they will fail in this and
that the convention will record moth
ing more than disapproval of the |
treaty and league plan as President
Wilson presented it.
Some of the ADLER counsellors in
the Democratic ranks are proposing
that the San Francisco convention
should not do anything more than
rebuke the Republican majority for
refusing to allow the treaty to go
through. 1t is taken for granted
the president and his immediate fol-
lowers will not be satisfied with such
a platform declaration. Hence
warm fight is looked for when the
president sends to the convention :
his idea of what the party plank
should be. :
Independent leaders among the ,
Democrats here cannot see how the ,
president can possibly win if such ,
a demand upon the convention is ,
made, in view of many strong eX-
pressions of disaproval of the league