The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-06-08
CRANE LEADING
BATTLEFOR THE
NATIONS LEAGUE
CONVENTION CONTEST
SEEN BY SULLIVAN
Challenge May Be Accepted
By Borah and Johnson for
the Irreconcilables.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.
ny nANN o oOL1V nv
.,idI Dispatch Ia TIL" lni"l!lg"n'er
.-.-l N.u. Nnr,. lru.nLnE In.f !


aud New York Evening P"StI
CHICAGO. Juur The lines hogan 10
st to- day for something really wortn
WhIl" from an intellectual point oi view.
Their" - going ,n ID" = contest on IN"
l"nru" Of unrl.u~ plank I'm tn" plat form.
Ou this point 90" "!Trer"nrilahl"S.' So
far. hay" been n.Alng !, NOR" or less
[ Ia~r s}5n %T G'' n",r~ nnsnn hS" IN and ind
Buruan there Wa always a. imphcation
and sometimes threat {" bolt ia" party
unless their iyT"cnurIIahI" position on
lh.. lea que Of nations should be endorsed
IN the platform.
Then. III january. when hn 'rT1n VIII
II. Hays appointed his preliminary com
miti"" - pr"Iar" = tentative, draft al a
Rryub!icau platform. II" told them that
they mus; keep Off the league OF ma
tins He aid the subject was then nn-
der debate in tho senate. and he didn't
wish tn "mbnrrasS tn" senate debate by
d. liberation outside the senate. ana so
Ih.. tentative draft rf III" platform was
made. omiiting all rafrrcn"" whatever
ru the lragu" Of nations. In the mean
tim. As the various states began to
hold their party conventions they adopt
ed platforms covering the league or ma
tiOns.
Tho Indiana Platform.
Oon, ur these. the Indiana PLATFORM,
WAS OF rather 4 compromise form. and
WAS supposed 10 furnish m'ddl" ground
upon which both the irreConcilab bles and
the Lodge rcS"rvatlOniSS could Sthnu.
Thus Indiana platform was more or ICFS aT
informally accepted as being a model
for tho national platform and II be-
came generally understood that Senator
Watson Of Indiana. would b" made the
chairman uf III" plat form committee. Al
together Chairman Hays must have felt
rhnl his diligence and indefatigahle ef-
forts in behalf Of harmony wer" bear
lnE fruit.
SON. talked less and less of holtlnE. IN
decd. lately, Senator Johnson has been
formally disnvOwinG any intention 10
holt and Chairman Hays WAS feeling
right comfortable.
II looked a. IL the Republicans were
going to got together on happy COM
promise which would save the faces or
both factions Of the Republican party IN
III" senate and would at the sam" limo
present a contrast to The Democrats.
So matters stood as late ms saturday.
Then Comes Crane.
Then ex-senator Crane. of MaSSaChu-
settS came 10 town and Senator Crane
has n good deal OF III" New England con-
science and high sens" Of sertus re-
Sponsihility. As II leader II" mas az.
ways been associated with the idea of
soft manners and compromise. but this
lime that frail wist OF a man brought
fight with him. Your correspondent
, does not know just in what words Mr.
Crane states his position, but generally
spcakinG. II was to the effect that IN
writing the platform plank on III" league
OF nations there should be no comprn-
mise of such kind az would seem to
endorse or Condone that extreme anu
violent hostility 10 any League or ma
tiuns whatever which has been the POSI-
tin Of the "irreConCtlables.
ITO try To state in exact words JUST
Nhat senator Crane does want would be
10 get lost in that verbal wilderness or
shaGinES Of words In which IN" league
debate in the senate was involved. But
what the other leaders who have hrard
Mr. Cranes ultimatum understand MIN
10 mean Is that the platform ShouId De
for THE Versailles treaty with proper
reservations"
Crane and Wilson,
Incidentally. If these words talthlulI!
represent Mr.. Cranes position. IL does
not differ much from tho position which
President Wilson IL trying To max" the
D.mocrats take However. the exact
words do not matter for the present.
Tney will apear within the next i"riN-
eight hours.
Senator Cranes "s!tl"h IS one '",e ~
means war between his position and the
,rrrCnncilable position Of senators
Johnson and Rurah Whether senator's
Johnson and Borah Will accept the Chal
lcuge remains t. he seen. IL IL haru
10 hclirve they can fail Ia. II thcy uo'
a, may have upon the floor nf the con-
ycniInn an historic debate. There Is no
rcnsn,' why This should hc avoided.
rhcr, is every reason why II should be
rnrnur, \ real d"bat" upon the ls-
sues and principles involved IN the dil-
ferinV views on the league or NATIONS
would ouprrciably cnhanC" the dignity OF
the convention.