New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
Three Leaders Agree to
Present a Substitute
for Wilson Program on
Treaty to Committee
Minority Report
Ii Appeal Fails
First Test of Strength of
the Nebraskan to Come
i'm Organization Fight

SAN FRANCISCO. June 26.-Plans
for opposing the Administration treaty
and League of Nations plank were
formulated at an hours conference
tonight between William J. Bryan and
Senators Walsh, of Massachusetts, and
Reed, of Missouri. Their first effort,
Senator Walsh said, is to be made in
the resolutions committee by Offering
substitutes for the Administration
plank.
If defeated in the resolutions COM
mittee, Senator Walsh said, it was
planned to present a minority report
to the convention. The greater con-
Germ of those in the movement, the
Massachusetts Senator added, is to
prevent commitment of the party to
unreserved ratification of the present
league covenant.
Treaty Plank Discussed
I'VE discussed several platform
league" said Senator Walsh.
For the Administration treaty
plank it is pretty generally agreed
that we shall offer several substitutes,
possibly three or four to the Resolu-
tion Committee. They have not been
drafted, but our general purpose is
to oppose committing the party to un-
reserved ratification of the present
covenant"
If the sub-plank should be rejected,
Senator Walsh said, the next move
would be for presentation of the is
sue to the convention itself.
Senator Reed declined to discuss the
conference.
The three leaders who met in Mr
Bryan's rooms have been regarded as
Wilson's course in the Senate and be-
fore the convention. Senator Reed in
the Senate joined the Republican
"irreconcilables" opposing the treaty,
while Senator Walsh voted for ratifi-
cations Of the Lodge reserva tions. Both
made several speeches vigorously criti-
cising the league plan, while Mr.. Bryan
has spoken for ratification with the
majority reservations to avoid the
treaty's becoming a campaign issue.
See Contest on Floor
The general prediction tonight was
that the Admin stration plank indorsing
the league without destructive reser-
vations would get safe majority in
the committee, though there might be
a contest against it on the convention
floor.
The disposition in some quarters
was for plank advocating ratification
with "whatcver reservations deemed
necessary to protect American inter
ests." The group urging that course
argued that the Republican platform
at least had presented an issue by con-
demning the President and upholding
the Senate and that the wise course
would be for the Democrats to take
that issue into their own hands. The
declaration outlined, it was asserted,
would accomplish such a purpose
Some of the Senators who left Presi-
dent Wilson last March to vote for
ratification with the Republican reser-
vationists joined in the advocacy of
sucn protective reservations plank, but
others among them were opposed to it.
The latter, whose number for the mo-
ment it was impossible to determine,
indicated they were willing to take
the Administration plan of declaring
for ratification without destructiv
reservations. That would leave them
free, they declared, to vindicate their
votes of last March on the ground that
(contlnued on nsxt uaoe)