South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-10
BORAH VOICES
PARTY REVOI 7
In COMMITTEE
Says There is No Bluff in
Ultimatum Against
Peace Treaty.
By Associated Press:

BY Associated Press:
CHICAGO, June 9. - Republican
differences over the League of Ma
tions eliminated, Wednesday. in an
open threat from irreconcilable SEN
ators TO leave the party unless il
declared fatty against the League
Of Nations.
The ultimatUm was delivered in
dramatic fashion at a conference Of
leaders. 1t put the League issue
suddenly to the fore Of all other
questions of the national convention,
not excepting even the nomination
OF a presidential candidate, Sen. Bo-
rah, Idaho; Brandegee, of Connecti-
cut. and Mccormick. of Illinois
represented the irreconcilables at
the conference and former Sen. w
Murray Crane, of Massachusetts, in
past conventions a national leader
spoke for the group demanding a
plank for a league with reservations
sen. Watson, of Indiana, chairman
OF the conventions I resolutions COM
mittce, who was present to repre-
sent the party organization took the
role Of peace maker.
Leaders Lose Heart.
Tonight the leaders were only
half-heartedly attempting to conceal
their apprehensions over the stu
alton. Most of them grimly predict
ed an agreement, but none appeared
too sure of his ground. In session,
which promised TO last through the
night, a resolutions subcommittee,
headed by Sen. Watson, sought to
find a middle course which would
hold the party together.
Sen. Crane coming unexpectedly
n he nF 70 ire,
after several days of quiet confer
ences. prefaced the irreconcilable ul-
timatum by laying on the council
table "A proposal that the party de-
clare affirmatively for ratification
OF a League of Nations covenant
vi h safeguarding reservations.
Racked, he said, by the group of
mild reservation senators, he indi-
Gated that unless such a plank were
League of Nations question would
League fo Nations question would
be let loose on the convention floor.
Give Sharp Reply.
The reply of the irreconcilables
came at once, phrased in terms,
which no one misunderstood. With
considerable heat Sen. BOrah told the
conference that he and his colleagues
never could support any plank de-
claring affirmatively for any rati-
ilcatiOn of the treaty, reservations
or no reservations. Should the party
adopt such a plank, they declared,
they would Immediately and finally
part company with IT.
In a desperate effort to bring har-
mony. Sen. Watson pleaded that the
rising animosities Of the conference
be forgotten and that both sides ap-
prOa,ch the subject with a determi-
nation u avoid repetition Of the dis
aStrous break of 1912. But neither
side receded and the meeting ended
in an atmosphere of solemn def
ance.
Conference On.
So il stood. Wednesday night, as
the resolutions subcommittee Of 13
sought to sweat out a solution. In
the committee room besides Sen.
Watson were Sens. Borah and Nc
COrmick for the irreconcilables,
Sen. Smoot, OF Utah, and nine men
Of varying shades Of opinion.
Outside the committee room, too.
there were a series Of feverish con-
ferences as each side sought to as
sess how much of the attitude Of
it's adversary was bluff and how
much was genuine.
The irrecOncilabie group solemnly
assured their party leaders there was
not a single element of bluff in their
program, and one Of them is under
stood to have declared that should
the party stand for any sort o.
ratification, he would resign from
the senate in order TO be free 10
carry on the fight
What connection Sen. johnson
might have with the move was not
revealed. Throughout the senate
fight he stood shoulder 10 shoulder
with Sen. Borah. but talk of a pos
sible Johnson bolt has been dis
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