Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-14
Cox Begins to Hedge
on Nations League
Continued from Page One

Continued from PnEe One
guarded is what the candidate says in
effect. The Republicans offer you only
delay and retard the project.
Governor Cox says all this in effect.
but does not say it directly. He la
bors under the difficulty of trying not
to make too explicit the differences be-
tween himself and President Wilson.
He is trying to hold his party together
and carry it along with him in pro-
gram Of reasonable compromises to OBJ
tain quick ratification of the treaty.
Speech Shorn Of Deflniteness
This difficulty robs his speech Of def. I.
niteness. His presentation of the treaty
issue lacks punch. 1t Is that of a man
feeling his way to more advanced
ground. He is testing out his public
and waiting for his response in the
press and on the stump. II he can get
the country with him for a prompt
ratification of the league. properly safe
guarded. he would be likely to become
more definite. But he is handicapped
by the position of the Wilson wing OF
the party in favor of the league vir-
tually as it stands.
The governor is surrounded by adviS-
ers who feel that the Republican party
surrendered a great advantage upon the
league issue when It failed to indorse
the league reservations in it's Chicago
platform. They hold that he should
profit by their error and advance to
occupy the position they abandoned.
Their arguments are being constantly
pressed upon him and he may be forced
to take a position similar to Bryan.
namely. that quick ratification OF the
league is of greater Importance than the
exact nature of the reservations made
for il.
In the speech here today and in the
speech of acceptance he kept the way
open to this position. His emphasis is
all upon the need of league and the
desirability of its prompt adoption. On
the Importance Of taking 1t without
change, as Wilson brought it from
Paris, he is discreetly silent.
Public Fails to Respond
While Governor Cox is trying to
please both factions Of the Democratic
party, those who favor the league as 1t
was negotiated by the President and
those who think II very good politics to
advocate its acceptance. II necessary
even with the Lodge reservations. his
presentation Of this issue Is likely to be
vague and indecisive. 1t was so today
and drew from his auditors only the re-
sponse which party gives to a rccog-
nized party issue.
So far the people who have heard
him have not risen to his plea for the
league. They feel in il neither the
moral flavor Of Wilson'S appeal for the
covenant as an inspired document. nor
the practical sense of a perfectly
definite compromise proposal which will
lead to a quick settlement
The governor exhibits his real i'm
patience with the League of Nations as
an issue when he calls the state of
mind which the Republicans have Gre
ated in the country with regard to it a
mere smoke screen. behind which they
are seeking the Spoils Of office. He
would like TO blow away the screen and
discuss other issues which are nearer
to his heart and which he believes more
effective than the League of Nations, but
he Is troubled by the division in his own
party on the league. He could remove
the smoke screen or embarrass the Re
publican party by indicating a willing
ness to accept the Lodge reservations or
something equivalent to them. but he
is restrained by the Wilson rejection of
those reservations as nullifying the
league.
The governors speech was further