Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-15
Senator Harris C0ntendS
Georgia Did Nor Reject
LeAgueinR ecent Primary
(The Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
e23 Riggs Building.)
~ TEENnNRE TrIEER

Ak1&SD CGS1 @%&M6s&S
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE
claim of Senator Lenroot. of Wis
consin, that the recent Georgia pri-
mary was a reputation of the peace
treaty brought a spirited colloquy
in the senate late Thursday after
Senator Harris, of Georgia.
Senator Harris insisted that the
primary was fought mainly on To-
cal issues and that the peace treaty
played but an incidental part. Sena-
tor Lenroot declared that the com
ministration candidate, and of Sena-
tor Hoke Smith, who believed in res
ervatious to the peace treaty, was
so much ahead of the vote of Mr..
Palmer, administration candidate,
that it placed Georgia with other
cepting the treaty g it came from
Versailles.
That administration Democrats
voted for Senator Smith was con-
tended 49,. Seu4,or Harris, who added
that t|o mot on 81 f fn,e t PeoP Preat2
but are friends of the administration,
and when the opportunity presents
itself they will prove themselves So"
Transcript of Colloquy
A verbatim transcript of the col
loquy, taken by the official reporter
Mr.. Lenroot: Where, either in
Democratic or Republican primaries,
have the president and his treaty
without reservations been Endorsed by
the people? Was it in Georgia, where
they had a vote nearly two to one
against the presidents position, the
opposition vote being divided between
those who were against the treaty
in any form, and those who were
for the treaty only with reserva-
tions?
Mr.. Harris: l am sure the senator
from Wisconsin would not intention
ally, willingly make any statement
that is not true. The Georgia sit
uation was more a local fractional
fight than it was a treaty fight,
gia are no tonly for the treaty, but
they are friends of the administra-
ton, and when the opportunity pre-
sents itself they will prove them
selves so.
Mr.. Lenroot: Well, I should like
from Georgia. l will ask the SEN
ator whether Mr.. Watson did not take
a position clearly before the people
of Georgia that he was against the
treaty in any form?
Harris Contentious
Mr.. Harris: Mr.. Watson takes a
position against the Democratic par
W anu against the treaty Oh all
occasions. The supporters of my
the senior senator from
Georgia (Mr. Smith), are just as
good administration men as the sup
porters of Mr.. Palmer. 1t was more
a local fight there than it was a
lar with the conditions in my own
state.
Mr.. Lenroot: Then the senator
will not say that the people who
voted for Watson were indorsing the
go to our distinguished colleague, the
senior senator from Georgia (Mr.
Smith), who took such a very active
part and made the issue very plain in
Georgia. Does the senator contend
that with the issue made by the
senator from Georgia, his colleague,
against the treaty except with reser-
the vote that the senior sem
ator from Georgia received was an
Endorsement of the administration or
the treaty without reservations?
Mr.: Harris: I make the statement
that the supporters of Senator Smith
in Georgia are just as good Demo-
Gratis and just as good administra-
ton men as the supporters of Mr..
Palmer. The fight in Georgia was
factional political fight with the ma
tional committeeman at stake. and
six delegates to the national con-
vention, and it avs not a fight
against the administration. as the
senator believes it to be.
Mr.. Lenroot: 1 take it. then, the
senator's position is that the people
that has ever come before the peo-
pie of this country, are much more
in their own local affairs
than in jndorsing the administra-
ton. OF course, I will accept that
statement. if the senator desires.
In TIA
Mr.. Harris: [ should like to make
one statement to the senator. have
q letter from Boston, Ga, from one
of the leading men there in which he
says that all the people Of that place
voted for Pm my colleague, ,t the senior mic
The writer of this letter tells me
that every man who voted for Sena'
tor Smith there avs a friend of the
administration and was friend OF
mine and friend of the Democratic
party, and it was a purely local, fac
not Mr. a 5 Tenroo tsht Mr. President, all
that I can say, in view of the state
ment of the senator from Georgia,
is that the people of his, state take
a most peculiar way Of indorsing
the administration.
wilson Keeps U. s. at War
Now, Mr.. President, just one word
more and am done. [ stated yester-
day that If the president Of the
United States had permitted senators
of the United States to exercise their
own judgment without pressure, this
treaty would have been ratified with
the Lodge reservations. The sena-
tor from Nebraska (Mr. Hitchcock)
made a very pathetic appeal about
1.-THE sick man of the White House"
We all sympathize with him in his
i11naCc and hnnn for his SnlnHv va
covery; nevertheless, every senator
knows that when the critical period
came, when there were Democratic
senators in sufficient number to vote
to ratify this treaty, to secure the
necessary two-thirds at that critical
'the sick man of the White House"
lining UP his Democratic followers
and holding them with him. No one
can deny that. The fact is that if
the president of the United States,
having negotiated this treaty, as was
his right, and then having submitted
it to the senate, as was his duty,
had left the senate to exercise it's
constitutional functions without in
terfering we would have been at
peace today. The party and the only
party who is responsible for our con-
tinuing in a state of war is the presi-
dent of the United States and the
people of this country will hold him
responsible!
The treaty lies in the White House.
He refuses to resubmit it, and states
he will not permit his followers in
the senate to vote for it with the
Lodge reservations. He refuses to
attempt to negotiate a new treaty;
and now we are told by the senator
from Nebraska that he will veto this
joint resolution. Very we'll; so be
it. We have done all that we can
do, and the responsibility is his"
Mr.. NJ. B. Council
Former Senator, Is
R,,yIod ~ A,oov,o,,c