Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-16
BY n. o. MESSENGER.

W. W
President Wilson is convinced
that the majority sentiment of this
country favors a league of nations
as constituted by the covenant con-
tanned in the treaty of Versailles.
While he does not demand adher-
ence to that covenant. word for
word, he has clearly, specifically
and in terms limited departure
from it. He is so fixed in his be-
lief that he insists upon his party
national platform.
Gen. Leonard Wood. candidate
for the republican presidential
nomination, who has addressed au-
diences Of literally hundreds of
thousands of citizens in the past
three months, is sincerely convinc-
ed that the people demand Ameri-
canizing reservations to the cove
nant as submitted by the President.
Senator Hiram johnson. candi-
date for the republican presiden-
tial nomination. who has spoken
to large and enthusiastic audiences
of citizens, is equally sincerely OF
the opinion that the people want
either no league at all or league,
with reservations even more strin-
gent than those favored by Gen.
Wood.
Thus are represented two e1-
IRENE positions and ole on middle
ground. The convictions of the
men who hold them are not open to
question, nor the sincerity Of those
convictions. Who is right In re-
fecting the majority sentiment of
the country?
** +
A solemn referendum" suggest
ed by the President, is to supply
the answer at the polls in Novem-
Der next. The consideration Of
present concern is how shall the
issue be drawn succinctly enough
to enable the parties to the refer
endum to decide. The issue must
be stated in the platforms Of the
two political parties and the terms
of the respective statements are
all important.
AS recently as May 9. in tele-
gram to an Oregon county chair
man, President Wilson outlined the
position democrats should Rake.
He said Endorse and support the
Versailles treaty and condemn the
Lodge reservations" Since then
authoritative statements have
come from administration sources
that this admonition does not pre-
clude agreeableness to reasonable
modification of the treaty, always
within the bounds set by the Presi-
dents previous utterances to Sen
ator Hitchcock and others, and all
of them falling far short of re-
publican requirements.
The latest authoritative republi-
can announcement was conveyed in
the platform of the Indiana re-
publican state convention last week,
which said I'VE declare our abso-
lutte opposition to the covenant Of
by the President and we fully ap-
prove the action of the republican
senators in resisting its adoption"
The platform also was "unaIter-
ably opposed to any league or COW
enant which gives to foreign ma
tions in any way whatever the
slightest control over the military
or naval forces OF the United
States or which gives to a foreign
country or tribunal the least juris-
diction over the domestic affairs Of
the American people," etc. AS the
proposed reservations on these
questions are the ones which Presi-
dent Wilson has declared to be
notification of the treaty, the two
parties split right there.
X y + +
Politicians at the Capitol are
wondering how the democrats In
their platform will meet this dfvi-
sion without demanding strict adj
herence to the treaty as drawn, or
going part way toward republican
Americanizing provisions. The be-
lief is growing that in the finality
the country will have to be con-
tent with a generalization upon