New-York tribune., 1920-06-07
Johnson's Retraction of
Endorsement Yesterday
of Draft Not Considered
To Be Final Decision
BOrah Advocates
Its Acceptance
Approval of Declaration
Containing Reservations
Deemed Vital by Leaders
From a Staff Correspondent


CHICAGO, June Ex-senator Henry
Cabot Lodge, of Massachusetts, who, as
chairman of the Foreign Relations
Committee Of the Senate drafted the
reservations which the Senate adopted
20 the Versailles Treaty, arrived in
Chicago early to-day and Immediately
prepared to fight for the adoption of
the plank which has been agreed to
tentatively by the leaders Of the vari-
Gus factions in the treaty fight, includ-
ing Senator Johnson.
However, in his public utterances
Senator Johnson has modified his state
ments regarding the treaty plank since
it became known that the plank tenta-
lively agreed upon would be pushed. He
withdrew statements made yesterday
that he would accept the Republican
nomination even if the convention
adopted a plank declaring for the
Lodge reservations, and said to-day
that he would "cross that bridge when
he came to It,"
Asked whether he had agreed to the
tentative draft of the treaty plank and
whether he would stand by that, he re-
piled: II have nothing to say about
that"
Borah Urges Acceptance
Senator Borah, Of Idaho, Senator
Johnson's most ardent supporter in the
Senate and his chief adviser in the
Presidential contest, reached Chicago
tonight, and Immediately conferred
with the candidate. Senator Borah
urged the Californian to stand by the
plank that has been tentatively pre-
pared.
The treaty plank is the only part Of
the platform. over which there Will be
any contest, leaders declared to-day.
Many OF the leaders asserted they ex-
pect an agreement will be reached on
that plank that will satisfy all factions
of the party before the platform is re-
ported to the convention by the resolu-
tions committee.
That there will be no declaration IN
the platform on the questions of prohi-
bition enforcement, woman suffrage and
freedom for Ireland was generally pre-
dicted, although the suffragists, the pro-
hibitionists, the Irish-American socie-
ties and similar organizations are pre-
pairing to besiege the convention with
demands for the adoption of their
planks.
Treaty Not Really Taken Up
apparently there is unanimity on
everything that has been taken up"
said Chairman Will H. Hays of the Re-
publican National Committee in discus
sing the platform. 1.-The treaty has not
really been taken up. There will be
no real movement in developing that
matter until more of the advocates of
the different lines of thought arrive"
Senator Johnson has had the stage all
to himself on the treaty question since
he arrived Thursday, and announced
that he intended to lead fight in the
convention for fiat declaration against
the treaty The party leaders, and es-
pecially the Republican reservationists
who carried the burden of the treaty
fight in the Senate, became greatly
alarmed. Senator Watson, of Indiana,
member of the resolutions committee
and candidate for chairman of the COM
mittee, brought to Chicago the tentative
draft of the treaty plank that had been
accepted by all factions.
Senator Lodge held long confer
cnce to-day with Senator's Lenroot. of
Wisconsin,; Kellogg, of Minnesota, and
other reservationists in the Senate, and
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