Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-06-10
Plan to Go Ahead With
Nominations and Not
Wait for Platform Is
Proposed as Solution.
Wood and Lowden Fore
es Are Opposed to Such
Action However and
Confusion Is in Saddle.

Chicago, June 9.-The Re.
publican row over the League OF
Nations suddenly took on such
a furious aspect Wednesday
that for the moment it over
shadowed the nomination deadlock and
threatened to upset the whole tenor of
the convention. 1t was stiffening of re-
sistance by the mild reservation group.
which brought the issue once more
sharply to the fore. just as a resolu-
tions subcommittee thought it had
brought all elements into harmony
W. Murray Crane of Massachusetts.
former senator and old line leader
in many preceding conventions, was the
central figure in the development He
gathered about him group of mild res
ervation advocates and informed the
platform builders they would make a
mistake unless they declared for n
League of Nations principle as against
the principle of no league at all.
Youngsters Hear Him.
Because of the position Senator Crane
has occupied IN the previous party par
ieys. the younger leaders manifested no
preclpltous desire to antagonize him.
They reconsidered their plan to adopt a
plank not containing such an affirmative
declaration and decided to postpone dis
cussion of the league question by the
subcommittee until all other subjects
were out Of the way.
While feverish conferences outside Of
the committee room were wrestling with
the problem, the subcommittee itself
sat all day and far into the night clear
Ing aside other and aless controversial
issues. Whether a report could be made
at thursdays session remained uncer-
tain. with some of the most experienced
in the vissicitudes of platform building
predicting that the task could not lie
finished before Friday.
Borah Leads Finht.
Senator Borah. of Idaho. LEADING the
fight in the subcommittee for a flat
declaration against the Versailles
League of Nations. declared he was as
sured of a majority of Il of the mem
bers. His claim was disputed. how
ever, by the mild reservation advocates.
who said they believed the pressure
they were bringing to bear would result
in plank more affirmative in charac
ter. A leader on the inside of the
Johnson circle asserted today that the
California senator was no@ looking for
a fight. that the plan worked sut in
platform conferences of the past few
days was looked upon by him with fa-
WIZ phL thdt IL totIldlOE NIdHt
and his group wanted to attempt to
overthrow the decisions already made,
they might fall heir to a lot of trouble
Old Timers Join Him.
Among those working with former
Senator Crane were Senator McCumber
OF North Dakota; Senator Kellogg Of
Minnesota: Senator Lenroot of Wiscon-
sin; Senator Hale Of Maine, and former
Senator Weeks of Massachusetts
For the time being. at least. Senator
Lodge Of Massachusetts. Republican
leader of the senate and chairman of the
convention, kept on the outskirts of the
discussion but is understood to have
used his Influence for compromise.
Senator McCumber was among those
who called at the subcommittee room
during the day to urge the expediency
of the position advocated by the mild
reservatiOnists.
B0rah at Bat
Declaring the irreconcilable element
vas not advocating a plank against all
possible peace leagues. Senator Borah
said they already conceded much in the
declaration tentatively framed during
recent conferences here.
1--WE don't ask any explicit declara-
ton" said Senator Borah. that will
humilate those who voted for ratifica-
ton with reservations. Nor do we
mean TO accept anything that will humil
late us"