New-York tribune., 1920-06-22
Administration Forces at
the Convention Plan
to Unseat Anti-League
Senator From Missouri
President Fears
Attacks on Floor
Hoke Smith, Watson Also
TO Be Disciplined; Nc
Adoo Appears Nominee
By Carter Field
Special Dispatch to The Tribune

SAN FRANCISCO, June 2l.-The
first victim of the Administration
steam roller at the Democratic Ma
tlonal Convention apparently is to
be Senator James A. Reed, of Mis-
souri,. Nh Reed will come demand
ing seat in the convention as the
regularly chosen representative of
the 5th Missouri District.
Acting with a view to pleasing
President Wilson, whom Mr.. Reed
kas so bitterly attacked, the Mis-
souri, state convention ignored the
wishes Of the district delegates from
Kansas City and adjourned. after re-
ferrlng the nomination back to the
district delegates: His district has
again demanded that Mr.. Reed
should represent it at San Francisco,
and the case will come before tho
ma ! committee on June 25.
Sentiment of the leaders here seemg
to be that Reed must not be seated.
There are few, like National Commit
teeman Norman f. Mack of New York.
who think that Mr.. Reed, as a promi-
nent Democrat, has the right to say
what he pleases, no matter whether
1t meets the approval Of the party as
a whole or not. But the admiration for
Mr Reed 5 independence which bubbles
10 the surface here and there Is spo-
radlc and stuffed to whispers.
Would Eliminate Opposition
Most of the leaders are Of the same
frame of mind as the majority of the
Missouri convention, which repudiated
Reed because 1t was known that the
Whlte House wanted Reed repudiated;
and further, because it was known that
the White House did not want Reed
lighting on the floor of the convention
against any Endorsement of the League
of Nations
On the same theory it is expected
that the Palmer delegates from
Georgia will be seated, thus adding
Senator Hoke Smith and Tom Watson
to the steam roller victims, although
Watson rolled up larger popular vote
than either Palmer or Smith in the
Georgia Democratic primary.
In both cases the strict rules Of the
game, as interpreted for the National
Committee to-day by legal experts. give
the technical rights TO the Admnistra-
ton side. In Georgia the rules pro
vlded that plurality of votes in the
state convention should commit the
delegation, and Palmer carried enough
counties IN the state to have more
delegates than either Hoke Smith or
Watson, despite the fact his vote was
barely one-third Of those cast In Mis-
sourl the precedents are said to be that
q OF ho
final.
Problem Convention Must Decide
The only question is whether the
National Committee, then the Gre
dentlals Committee, and finally the
thousand odd delegates, sitting on the
floor, Will have The courage TO DENY tn
Kansas City district the right to &
represented by man of its own choos-
ing, even if his views on what The
PRESIDENT expects TO be the paramount
issue of the campaign should differ
from those Of the party leader.
There Is d realization that throwinf-
Reed out Of the convention would havs
an effect on the country not in har-
mony with the often preached doc
trlAes Of the Democratic party II is
realized also that a considerable elc-
ment OF the party takes the position
mat the peace treaty should not be a
eiSa4 ,9s-c ana tnat a Dem Ocrat
has the right to differ with President
Wilson on this if he wants to.
Predict Disaster in November
1t was the expression of though.
along this line, in his address before
ton which the leaders privatelv admit
resulted in Vice-P President Marshagi
Deing scratched off the slate as car
diaate Tor chairman of the Resolutions
committee. loo much intolerance to-
ward this element of the party. espe-
clally as many of the Democratic SEN
atorlal candidates this year differed
WIN the president on the treaty, may
easily spell disaster in November. sorns
OF the shrewd old politicians are poin.-
ing out F0''''
But the Administration group. as
Vas Vas pointed out IN the interview with
Na'.0nai Chairman Homer CUMMINGS
IN The Tribune Sunday morn,~g
a!readI has determined that the steam
roller must be run over William len
nlngs Bryan IN the treaty plank fght.
and the general attitude is that good
joo might as we'll be done of the
wHole matter This would involve
throwing Reed OUT and seating the pro-
league Palmer delegates from Georgia.
although they represent, judging from
me primary, only about onc-third of
the Democracy Of that state.
incidentally, Administration leaders
are eagerly pointing out that they are
not depriv.ng the 5th Missouri District
of representation by barring Reed as
delegate. The alternate from that
district, Mr.. Bradshaw. is legally ac-
credited and no objection has been
raised to him. Also, they point out,
he is strong Reed man and probably
would veto n the convention just as
Reed wou.G
Fear Attack on League
1t is not the one vote out of more
than 1000 which is disturbing Admin
istration leaders in the case Of Reed.
IL is the fear OF Reeds attacks on the
League OF Nations and on the Presi-
dent. In addition. il is believed here,
Just as il was AT the Missouri State
Convention, that President Wilson