The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-05-15
REPUBLICAN, STRATEGIC BENEFIT
IN WILSON'S TREATY DEMAND

At the moment the President announced
his position last night the Republicans
had reached program, stu tentative
and awaiting assent from several OF
those involved, which consisted Of max
Ing Lodge temporary chairman and cX-
Senator Beveridge OF Indiana permanent
chairman. Beveridge. not being In the
Senate, was not officially Identified with
the treaty fight; but his position ls
wholly with the irreconcilRbles.
On the matter of writing the Repub-
lican position on the treaty the compru-
mise had not rcaced such definite form.
but some points had been agreed upon:
Al one point in the negotiations some of
the irreconcila bles demanded that there
should be specific endorsement Of those
Senators who fought and defeated the
clause giving Great Britain six roper
sentatives to Americas one. But they
were persuaded out OF tn Is as being
merely a point of personal pride con-
nccted with q single detail of the treaty.
The Tentative Program.
Broadly speaking. the program tenta-
lively reached provided that there
should be no mention OF reservations.
and therefore no endorsement either d.
reCtly or by implication of the pro-rc-
servation Senators; that there should be
conde NINA ton Of the Presidents method
of making the treaty in the beginning
and also of his upwillingness TO com
promise at the end. and that in broa
way the efforts of all the Republican
Senators to "Americanize' the treaty
should be commended.
On the affirmative side. tho program
looks to making a declaration OF policy
in favor OF the outlawing Of war; OF an
international agreement for the rcduc-
tion Of armaments; OF the codihcation
OF International law, and supreme
Court Of the world.
Broadly speaking. these declaration
would endorse as much OF the treaty as
tho Republicans arc willing to endorse.
always that definite agreement binding
as to future action which tho President
has called The Heart of the Treaty
Now comes the President and states
what his position as to the Democratic
platform Is. That position Is TO sup
port the Versailles Treaty and condemn
the Lodge reservations" Later on. with
out mentioning Article y by name. he
specifically calls for endorsement OF II
by practically quoting it's important
words: Specific Covenants OF territor-
ial integrity 10 great and small States
alike
Strategically. the utterancr Of the
President leaves what might seem to he
an agreeable opening for the Republi-
cans. They could now merely endorse
the Lodge reservations and have clear
and ADEQUATE issue az between them
selves and the Democrats. But the Re
publicans won't stop there. They won't
stop there because the irrcconcilaoies
are in the saddle. They have been put
in the saddle by their cumulative sue
cesses Of the past year and by the vote
of endorsement Senator Johnson has
been getting from the public.
Effect on Democratic Party.
Meantime. how will the President fare
with his own party? Probably he Wi
succeed. but it would he-.unsafe to take
too much for granted. If the Demo
cratic party follows Wilson in his un-
compromising stand on Article Y. il will
not be because they like Article y, or
the Presidents firmness, hut because
thew feel il would he mistaken strategy
to do otherwise.
AS one Democratic leader expressed
It: I'VE arc the party that Is In. Tho
marty that is in can't mako II platform
, of promises. 1t must base ,ts platform
on performances The Republicans. as
the party that is out. can base their