New-York tribune., 1920-06-10

Threaten to
Bolt Party

of Minnesota; Lenroot, of Wisconsin,
and other mild reservationists in the
long battle over the treaty in the Sem
ate, may throw the fight over the treaty
into the convention, and has caused Sen
ators Borah, of Idaho; Mccormick, of
Illinois, and other irreconcilables to
threaten to bolt the Republican party
if a flank declaring ror ratification is
adopted
Ask Crane to Modify Demands
Senator Watson, of Indiana, chair
man of the sub committee that is draft
ing the platform, said late tonight
that he believed compromise would
be reached on the treaty plank
The compromise plank rejected by
Senator Crane and his group covered
four points. 1t denounced the league
of nations as President Wilson pre-
sented it, indorsed the action of the
Republicans in the Senate in refusing
to ratify it, advocated the establish
ment of an international court and ex-
pressed adherence to the foreign poll
cies of Washington and Monroe. The
last point was included at the demand
of Senator Hiram w. Johnson, of Cali
fornia, and his supporters.
Senator Lodge, permanent chairman
of the convention and author of the
reservations to the peace treaty, was
asked to join the Crane forces in the
demand for a ratification plank, but
he refused.
Borah Threatens to Lead Bolt
Senator Lodge is directing the ef-
forts to reach compromise. Confer
ences Of the party leaders are being
held at the Blackstone, Congress and
Auditorium hotels. Senator Penrose
is in frequent communication with the
leaders over the long distance tele-
phone from Philadelphia.
The party leaders emphatically as
serted tonight that there will be no
bolt and that a compromise will be
reached. Senator'S Borah and McCur-
mick, however. openly threatened to
lead bolt if the Crane demand is ac-
ceded to. They said that they feared
the subcommittee would turn down
the treaty plank that was agreed to
bv the Lodge group and the irrecon-
cllables in favor of the ratification
plank.
Former Senator Crane. in rejecting
the compromise plank, challenged the
IF there is going to be split in
the party over the treaty." Senator
Crane said, "let it come now"
The fight of the friends of the treaty
had been anticipated by Senator
Borah, who began issuing threats of a
bolt If the convention declared for
ratification, as soon as he arrived IN
Chicago, but it had not been expected
by Senator Lodge and the other con-
vention leaders to materlaiixe
Henry P. Dawson, Judge hilbert H.
Gary, Thomas w. Lamont and other
powerful financial leaders, came to
johnson followers are blaming them
for starting the fight over the treaty.
The same group of international
bankers who demanded ratification of
the treaty on any terms when it was
before the Senate are directing this
fight" Senator Mccormick declared.
The Johnson group declared that
they would be satisfied with plank
along the lines of the compromise re-
jected by Senator Crane, and that there
would be no bolt unless the conven-
tion declared for the treaty.
Should the b-committee report a
treaty plank declaring for ratification
the Lodge Watson group and the John
son irreconcilables will carry the fight
against it first to the full committee
on resolutions, and then to the floor
of the convention.
The committee decided after pro-
longed discussion of the league of ma
tions issue, to abandon efforts at agree
ment tonight. 1t was planned to clear
away minor points in dispute and ad-
journ until tomorrow, when the league
plank will be taken up again.
Will Adopt Platform First
Chairman Watson announced that the
completed planks of the platform on
which there was contest would be re-
ported by the committee to the
committee on resolutions at o'clock
tomorrow morning, and that the
planks on the treaty. Mexico and labor
would be submitted as they were COM
pleted. He said that he did not expect
the platform to be finished until 3
o'clock tomorrow afternoon.
Suggestions that the convention lis
ten to nominating speeches while
waiting for the platform tomorrow
had been discussed, but it had been
decided, almost unanimously, that the
candidates would not be nominated un-
til after the platform was adopted.
Demands Senators Be Free
~ won't accept a platform which
does not affrmatively declare the for