New-York tribune., 1920-07-01
Men Who Supported Res
ervatiOns Resent Decla-
ration Favoring Ratifi-
cation of Original Draft
Platform Makers
At Work All Night
League Issue Up First
and Bryan and W Walsh
Lead Stiff Opposition


12:15 o'clock this morning, after
the Res solutions Committee had been
in. session more than four hours, it
still was in the midst Of a debate
on the League Of Nations, the first
subject taken up.
Vigorous opposition to the Ad-
ministration league plan indorsed
by the subcommittee was led by
w. J. Bryan, Senator Walsh, of
Montana, and others.
From q STAG Correspondent
SAN FRANCISCO. June 3O.-A bitter
fight between the followers of Presi-
dent Wilson and the group of twenty
three Democratic Senators who Joined
with the Republican reservationists
and voted for ratification of the Yer
sailles peace treaty with the Lodge
reservations of March 10 developed in
the Resolutions Committee tonight
when the sub committee reported a
platform containing the so-called Nir-
ginia plank on the League of Nations.
The Senators who refused to stand
with the President in the treaty battle
in the Senate refused to accept the
league plank drafted by the sub-com-
mittee, declaring that it was directed
against them as much as it was against
the Republicans.
Another fight was made certain be-
fore the full Resolutions Committee
when it was authortati lively announced
that "moist" plank had been agreed
upon by the sub committee on plat
form Bryan announced at once he
would carry his fight against the
moist plank and for a bone dry plank
to the last ditch.
The draft of the platform was com
pleted early tonight and was laid be
final approval
Virginia Plank Adopted
The so-called Virginia plank, the
adoption of which caused d fight to-
day, approved President Wilson's
treaty attitude, condemned the Re
publicans in general and Senator
Lodge specifically, for having fought
the league, and declared that no reser-
or any other important provision of
the league covenant, because the Con
stitution fully protected the rights and
institutions of the United States.
When it became known late to-day
that the sub committee had adopted
the Virginia plank with changes the
group of twenty-three Senators I'M
medately served notice that they
would fight its adoption. They ap-
peared before the subcommittee and
tod the platform builders that if the
plank were adopted by the convention
it would place them in position
where they could not take the stump
for the Democratic ticket and platform
in the rthcoming campaign.
At a late conference it was decided
to open the fight against the league
plank in the full Resolutions Commit
tee tonight when that body met to
receive the completed draft of the plat
form from the b-committee.
Compromise Offered
Senator David I. Walsh, of Massa
chusetts, acting as spokesman for the
group, submitted the following plank
as last effort to reach a compromises:
"The Democratic party favors
League of Nations as the surest. if not
the only, practicable means of main
tanning the permanent peace of the
world and terminating the insufferable
burden of great military and naval es
tablishments 1t was for this that
America broke away from the ira
ditional isolation and spent her blood
and treasure to crush a colossal scheme
of conquest.
eve not only congratulate the Presi-
dent on the vision manifested and the
vigor exhibited in the prosecution of
the war, but we felcitate him and his