The Washington herald., 1920-06-10
BY WILLIS j. ABBOT.
(Staf Correspondent

Chlcago, June S.-The big poll
tics of this convention is beins
fought out today in the committee
on resolutions. The outcome may
be known late tonight. but at the
hour this dispatch goes the issu.
which involves certainly the chance
of the nomination of johnson ane
possible his candidacy on an inde.
pendent ticket is being thrashed out
behind closed doors.
Sentiment Against johnson.
The committee on resolutions 1,
confronted by the alternative OF
adopting a pronouncement on the
league of nations which will be fr
accord with the recorded votes OF
majority of the Republicans In !.
the Senah, but obnoxious to John.
son and Borah or one which will
be satisfactory to those two states
men. but in effect a reputation Of
the Senate majority. Most of the
members of the committee think
that public sentiment generally is
against the .Johnson-Borah position
but many are convinced that any
thing short of surrender will be
made the excuse for a johnson bolt.
Torn by these conflicting views the
committee labors in seclusion and
in sore vexation of spirit.
1t was 9 o'clock before the reso-
lutions committee closed its hear
ings. then, with a mass of material
resembling an encyclopedias, IL be-
gan a session that will last most
of the night and be renewed TO.
morrow. Reports came out that ef.
forts were making for a compromise
plank on the treaty which would
uphold the action of the Senator,
who voted for ratification with res.
ervations. but would denounce the
actual Versailles treaty and tn,
Wilson policy. Sanguine people as
.sert that such treatment OF the
issue will placate johnson and
Borah. Lodge is fighting for ex.
plicit approval of his reservations
and is quoted as opposed to the pro-
posed compromise. While some com.
promise utterance will be put
through by the majority of the COM
mittee, politicians are not sanguine
of the result
johnson and Borah Not I'm Accord.
A story has been current though
it fails of precise confirmation, that
Senator johnson and Borah are NOT
thoroughly in accord on the policy
to be adopted in the fight agains.
the league. Just now it appear.
to be Johnson's voice that is raised
for moderation and even compro-
mise. Borah favors a flat declara.
tion against any league and he
would bring in a minority report to
that effect if beaten in committee,
but. to this johnson dissents-beins
a Presidential candidate and fore
seeing that If the minority report
should be beaten he would thereby
be put out of the running for the
nomination. Borah having less to
lose. isiall for tight and would not
only stand for the minority report,
but would be in readiness to put an
independent ticket into the field in
its support ifAthe convention turned
it down. 1t is further reported that
Senator Borah is bitterly critical of
his colleague for his reiteration of
a purpose to abide by the action Of
the convention. whatever that action
may be.
II that is indeed Senator Borah,s
turn of mind. it may be said that he
takes the johnson protestations of
loyalty much more seriously than
most Of the politicians do.
For it is the general feeling that
unless the platform makers concede
much more to the irreconciIables
than now seems probable a break is
inevitable. 1t may not take the
form of a defiant procession out of
the convention. More probably Il
will be a noisy expression OF resent
ment, followed by a period Of sulk-
ing, and the organization of a new
party if no concessions are made.
Or 1t may be nothing but covert
hostility such as Johnson employed
so effectively in the case of HugheA
But that any real loyalty can be ex-
pected in the face of the adoption
of a plank not in accord with their
wishes no one who knows the
temper Of the Johnsonites believes
League Issue Too Small for Bolt.
Accordingly discussion has turned
up on the probable extent of this
and the best methods of
it. One shrewd OBJ
server set UP the theory that no
effective revolt against party au-
could ever be organized
upon q mere academic issue like the