The Washington times., 1920-01-06
TREATY TOBE
ISSUE INl92O
Democrats Believe President
viii Urge Ratification
Without Change.
~ ,. BART CAMPBELL.
!. N. 3. staff Csrssspoaaest-

- NJ y. bA0T CAApUCLI..
- !. n. o. STAFF Oerssspeasest
=, The rumor persisted today that
a President Wilson was planning to
urge the Democratic Party to make
I ratification Of the peace treaty, with
, out the crossing of It" or the dot
: ting of an ~i," its chief campaign
issue. TT ittt
Widespread credsnce. was given
the report that this would be the
burden of the important message"
{ the President would send to the Dem
I" ocrstic dinner on jackson Day, Janu-
afy g.
20 Message Kept Secret.
Beyond .stAtipK the Presidents 3
message" would be a 'Iong and i'm.
portant' paper Joseph p. Tumulty.
the Presidents secretary. refused TO
discuss It. 1t was to be kept sSsecret
until the dinner. Tumulty said
= At the headquarters of the Demo-
cratic national committee, where
chsirman Cummings and his asso-
ciates were busily engaged in com
bleting preparations for the dinner, 1t
was stated no intimations as TO the
nature OF the - Presidents message
had been received there.
4 Democratic leaders. in and out OF
the Senate. professed to be equally in
the dark - =. 1870 >, =
The. effect of the White House an
4 spouncsmept that the President was
preparing an important message" for
, delivery at <the dinner was to put a
damper on the thus far fruitless ef-
~ tufn 4. d.
. publican, Senator's to bring about an
adjustment Of the treaty situation.
IL - w.it ON President.
Both Republican and Democratic
Senators assumed the attitude that 1t
would be advisable to await the Presi-
dents message before proceeding any
further with any move for early .ratifi-
cafien with reservations.
A canvass of Republican Senator's
disclosed that q majority of them
were determined there should be no
1ratihcation except on the basis of the
,so-called Lodge reservations, which
they declared represented a COM
promise in themselves beyond wht;h
NEST Republican Senators were ,up-
willing to 60. =. ..
|. The Observation-Disclosures
and Democratic-who are unalterably
: states into the proposed league of
nations, assumed the position that
the treaty had already been made a
campaign issue, and that they would
welcome any move on the Presidents
part to make the Democratic party
go before the country In the ap-
, preaching Presidential campaign with.
ratification as its slo-
gan , .. -
League Already. Issue.
: It was pointed out that Senator's
Hiram Johnson of California and
, sPoindexter of Washington. avownd
Presidential candidates. were already
engaged In making opposition to tho
Senator Borah Of Idaho was regarded
by his friends as having helped to
inject the treaty into the campaign
by inquiring Of Governor Lowden 'f
Illinois, another Presidential aspir-
.aht, where he stood on the league Of
= nations.
While Democratic Senators were
naturally reluctant to discuss the
Presidents message, they privately
they viewed the situation with mixed
feelings. Those who differ with the
J President that the treaty would be
. s''nullihed" by the so-called Lodge res
: servations expressed regret that any
sthought Of making ratification a cam
paign issue should receive encourage
|, rnent from the White House. Those
who shared the Presidents viewS-
land their number appeared to be
!, siasm over the idea Of thei disputed
I question Of the American PEOPLE be-
ing committed to the league being
Thrust into the campaign.
Senate 1MarkinS T1me.~
- It was pointed out however. that
any speculation regarding what the
Presidents attitude would be would
be useless until his message was read
at the Jackson Day dinner.
In the meanwhile, the Senate would
hardly do more than mark time" un-
til it could learn what was in the
Presidents mind.
From several Democratic leaders
already In Washington for Thursdays
session of the Democratic National
Committee II was learned they shared
the general view that the President
would urge ratification OF the treaty,
with "interpretative" reservations, II
necessary. II this could be accomplish
ed without destroying the treaty,
but would continue to oppose the
so-called Lodge reservations as "nul-
lifying" the treaty.
These leaders said the President
could not consistently assume any
other position. They admitted, how
ever. they were ~up in the air. as to
what the Democratic national con-
vention was likely to do with any
such proposal from the President, es-
pecially as William. Jennings Bryan
was expected to propose at the Jack
son Day dinner that the Democrats
Join in ratifying the treaty without
further delay. even II they have to