Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-09
Makes Supreme Effort to De.
feat Lodge Reservations to
League Of Nations in Letter
To Senator Hitchcock.
UNSPARINGLY CONDEMNS
MULTIPLYING COVENANT
Asserts That Destruction of
Moral Obligation Of Article
10 to Intervene in Foreign
QuarreIs Is Breach of Faith.
By ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased WIRE

Chicago Tribune-O Omaha Bee Leased wire.
Washington, March 8.--With a
fervent appeal to the senate, and tho
country to consider what it is pos
sible to accomplish for humanity"
instead of Special national inter-
ests," President Wilson put forth his
supreme effort today to defeat the
Lodge reservations to the league of
nations covenant.
In a letter to Senator Hitchcock
primarily for the guidance and in
struction of democratic senators, the
president unsparingly condemned the
reservations as notification of the
covenant, asserted that destruction
of the moral obligation of article 10
to interfere in foreign quarrels would
be a breach of good faith and de-
clared that if the United States can
not enter the league with full re-
sponsibility it should retire ."as
gracefully as possible from the great
concert of powers.
Demanding hands off article 10.
of which he is the author and which
he pronounced the foundation of the
league, the president paid his re-
spects not only to the reservations,
but to the allies for their approval
of American reservations, charging
France and Italy with militarism
and possibly with Lord Grey of Eng
land in mind, asserting that he would
not trust the salvation of the
world" to the Counsel of diplo-
mats"
Deathlnell Of Treaty. tfs
On all sides at the senate the
presidents letter was accepted as the
deathknell of the treaty. The re-
publican reservationists and their
little group of democratic supporters
proclaimed anew their insistence
upon the protection of national in.
terest instead of plunge into the
internationalism advocated by the
president.
The voice from the White House
stiffened the ranks of the administra-
ton democrats, minimized the pos
sibility of democratic revolt and de-
stroyed practically all hope of a
compromise that would command a
two-thirds vote for ratification. The
general conclusion is that the presi-
dent would pocket the treaty if sent
to him with the Lodge reservations.
The declaration for league with
out reservations or no league at all
was also accepted as the keynote of
the issue the president contemplates
carrying into the election either with
himself or selected spokesman as
the democratic candidate. 1t also
proved defiant challenge to Wi.
liam ]. Bryan, who only yesterday
pronounced it suicidal for the demo-
cratic party to make the covenant
without reservations an issue in the
campaign.
Ratification Impossible Now.
Senator Hitchcock agreed thai
ratification was apparently impos.
sible at the present, but insisted that
Mr. Wilson's letters had not pro.
duced any change in the situation.
There never was any chance Of
getting sufficient number of dem.
ocrats to accept the Lodge rescrva,
ton on article ten to ratify the
treaty" Senator Hitchcock said.
The presidents letter declares that
there is no difference between hav.
ing no league and an attempt to null
lily it with reservations. 1t is bet-
ter for us to stay out of the league
gracefully than to go into it dis
gracefully" =
Senator Lodge, the republican
leader. declined to make any ex-
tended statement about the letter.
but said: @There are some delight
ful passages in it, particularly the