Norwich bulletin., 1920-06-07
Troublesome P|anks
in the Rep. Platform
Party Leaders Are at Work on
League of Nations-Plank
on Mexico is Incomplete.

Chicago, June 6.-With the convention |
circle of party leaders virtually complete, |
the republican platform builders went Sc
riously to work tonight on the more
troublesome of the planks remaining to be
fashioned.
One of these was the declaration on the
treaty of Versailles and the league of ma
tions, a subject of long-standing disagree
ment and bitter controversy. Another
dealt with industrial relations, bringing
into contrast widely diverse schools of
economic thought. third related to
Mexico, always a topic of debate and now
| somewhat complicated by recent develop
ments south Of the Rio Grande.
On all OF these entire harmony was
predicted by all the party leaders, al
| though most of them conceded that some
| interesting scrimmages, possibly reaching
| the convention floor would have to be
| fought out before there could be an agree
! ment
| Complicating the task for the time be-
/ ing was a reaction against the platform
| program worked out by some of the lead
| ers in conferences during the last two
| weeks in Washington. The movement
against that program, apparently leader
less, was based on an objection that the
1 republican senators had taken too free
hand in the pre-convention platform con-
struction.
With the belated arrival from Wash
! ington of several senators, representing
extremes of republican opinion on the
| treaty, the long senate fight over the
! league of nations virtually was trans
ferred to the conference rooms here. They
are to be the scene of renewed effort for
| a program on which all republicans can
stand.
The irreconcilables and the mild reser-
vationists of the senate are prepared for
a hard battle on the treaty plank. Sen
ator Borah of Idaho, leader of the ir-
| reconcilables, arrived late in the day with
a plank which will have the backing of
the Johnson forces. The mild reservation
lists held numerous conferences and pre-
/ pared to draft plank for submission to
Ogden Mills. chairman of the executive
, committee on policies and platform.
I'VE will submit our plank to the reso-
lutions committee said Senator Borah
"and if we don't see it in the platform we
will offer it in the convention.
THE mon of our group think we are
entitled. to a straight-out, affirmative dec
laration for the maintenance of the for
| eign policies handed down by George
Washington and James Monroe and as
advocated and reaffirmed many times in
I / republican platforms since 1860"
! Senator Borah was not ready to make
the Johnson-Borah plank public, but said
5 it would be presented to the resolutions
committee
; 1t was learned that the mild reserva-
: tionists' plank would demand a construc-
l tive policy for ratification of the Yer.
sailles treaty with protective reservations
S and in endorsement of the stand of sena,
tors who voted for the Lodge reserva.
tions. Senator Lodge, who arrived to-
e day, deferred conferences on the treaty
! but predicted that an agreement between
= the various groups would be reached
n With the plank on Mexico still in it.
/ formative stage, there was genera
feeling that little trouble would be en-
= countered in bringing an agreement TIL,
= declaration prepared at Washington b.
n Senator Fall of New Mexico, however
+ providing for American Intervention un
S less Mexico mended its ways, ran int,
= some opposition, and it was suggested
Il that it might be modified to omit alto
gether the refernce to possible miIitar,
e interference by this government in tn
k southern republic.
: In that case, the plank would decIar
that recognition of the new regime il
a Mexico City Should be withheld unit
certain guarantees had been made Their
y also would be an attack on Presiden
y Wilson'S Mexican policy and a genera
e statement Of the necessity of protecting
- american rights. Two former American
n ambassadors to Mexico, Henry 3. FIetch
e er of Pennsylvania and Henry Lane vii
son of Indiana, are IN consultation her
e with other leaders on the subject
Shaping the Industrial relations nIan
revived many old animosities and broupb
u INTO focus several of the issues raised b
l recent strikes and unrest On this nIan
u the supporters of Senator Johnson ar
u generally expected to have a program n
their own, and various other elements r
the party are counted on to bring in prc
- posals that will run counter to the view
III of some delegates. None of these ele
ments has yet disclosed its hand, howeve-
= and the whole subject is in fiux.
Although only the less controversie
platform declarations have heretofor
been taken up in the conference here III
leaders declared that so far thew ba
- been able to reach complete agreenen
There has been apparent unanimitv y
everything taken up" said Will Fl Hav
~ the national chairman. THE trea+v bs
II not been taken up because the pronrietie
ie required that there be no real movenar
70 in that matter until more of the adv
Gates on the different lines of thoupl
arrived