The Washington times., 1920-01-10
SPLIT MAY FORCE
PRESIDENT TO RUN
Party Leaders Believe Wilson
May Find II Necessary to
Seek Third Term.
CONTINUED from First Pase.)

Continued from First PaEe.)
Of Europe and the world. will be TO
offer himself as candidate for the
presidency with the treaty as the
paramount issue.
Friends OF the treaty point out that
the President went to Europe to ne
gotiate peace. believing he had the
country behind him. Today he 10 told
by his political opponents, the coun-
try is not behind him.
Hitekeoek Gives Views.
"on January s, 1915" Senator
Hitchcock declared at the Jackson
Day rally. "the President. in his ad-
| dress TO Congress stated his fourteen
objects OF the war which must be
included In the peace settlement.
One OF them was the proposition of
a League of Nations. The declara-
| tlon met with an electrical response,
not only I'm the great audience to
which IL was delivered before the
| Senate and House, but throughout
the United States. and all the nations
OF the world.
"The President. proceeding on the
! justifiable assumption that he was
| backed by the public opinion of the
United States. went TO Paris and sue
ceeded In incorporating in the treaty
J OF peace q covenant of the League OF
Nations"
Hitchcock, Democratic leader In the
| Senate, thus summed up the situa-
tion. He Is known to have been ex-
| pressing the feelings of the Presi-
dent when he uttered those words.
The President likewise, Is known TO
feel implicitly that when he was In
Paris he had the public at home be-
Il - 4. Ang al
| he put up there was not so much be-
cause they we're his views, but be-
cause he, In his own mind. stood
| pledged to that public, to bring home
to them peace with covenant of a
league of nations.
The Republicans today claim he
acted on his own authority and was
not backed by the country. With this
as the big Issue in the campaign fol
the Presidency. they challenge the
Democrats to go before the people.
| President Also nm Issue.
How President Wilson. under these
circumstances. can get out of offer
ing himself and his league to the
public for its judgment is difficult for
a good many people here to see,
President Wilson, they declare, is
himself as much the issue as is the
league, because the two are insepara-
BILE.
| That the President is not certain
but that he may be forced into the
! campaign to defend himself and the
| treaty before the country and the
world. is seen by some in the total
lack of any reference whatsoever to
a third term in his message to his
4 ~ ThnrSIaV niuht Ann1ranftV
he stands prepared to face the issue
4 in whatever manner II may present
itself to him.
| One solution would be that indi.
Gated: Openly offer himself as candi
nant for his platform, and the party's
next choice for President on. the
date for a third term. with the cove
ticket as candidate for Vice Presi'
dent. And then, If elected, retire a.
having completed his task, leaving
the duties of office fall upon the
other.
Plan Called Legal.
This procedure, it is understood, j,
perfectly constitutional. The Presi
dent may resign wherever he ma!
choose. and automatically the Vic'
President becomes his successor.
The candidacy of President Wilson
would be accepted and understood
| by the public as one of pure form
those who are discussing it observe
and the people would cast their vot
accordingly.
President Wilson, of course, ma.
take the alternative. He may pick
candidate who will in reality repre-
sent him in the race. But in such a
event, it is considered, he would b
prejudicing his case in advance; TO
there is perhaps moro Antagonist
against Presidents naming his sue
cessor even in America than ther
is against a third term.