New-York tribune., 1920-06-09

Washington and elsewhere, several
troublesome platform questions re-
main to be answered.
Foremost in the minds Of most of
the committeeman tonight was the
league Of nations plank. but other
tlcklish issues remaining in flux in
cluded anti-strike legislation, the sol
dier bonus and a long string Of pro-
posals by farming interests.
determined effort will be made,
it was said, 20 have the platform in
clude a plank at least indorsing in
general terms the action of the Re-
publican Senate in writing an anti
strike provision into the railroad bill.
In many quarters that proposal met
with fiery opposition, however, and
the labor leaders on hand were ox-
pected, to help in the fight against it.
A declaration for enforcement Of
prohibition will be asked of the COM
mittee, although many of the party
chiefs are said to be in agreement
that the liquor issue should be con-
sidered settled. 1t was suggested that
as a compromise a plank might be
framed declaring generally for strict
law enforcement.
Suffrage Issue Agitated
Many leaders also want to let the
suffrage question alone, but here are
some who think the platform should
urge that ratification of the suffrage
amendment be completed.
1t was predicted generally that no
direct reference to soldier bonus leg
islation would be made in the plat
form, but that plank would be adopt
ed. stating in general terms that the
party favored generous treatment of
former service men. That may not
satisfy the Republican members of the
House of Representatives, which passed
a bonus bill, and fight in the commit
tee may develop.
The fight over the league Of nations
is simply continuation of the long
Senate struggle, and the tactics and
maneuverlng here repeat in precise
terms the same familiar story of the
unsuccessful effort to agree at Wash
lngton. With the same Senators in
their accustomed roles and the same
arguments and animosities running
through the whole theme of discussion,
1T appeared tonight that the great
drama OF the Senate committee rooms
had been transferred complete to a
new background.
Whether the convention floor is in
turn to repeat the history of the floor
OF tho Senate, with the contestants
carrying their fight into the open. az
they did at Washington, remains ~ a
question OF speculation and some con-
Germ among the party's titular lead
erS. ~
Middle Ground Unpopular
Neither the irreconclables nor the
mud reservationists were ready to-
night to take the underground plank
Iashloned by the pre- convention plat
form builders, and each element was
| to o.
FAILURE to. get an agreement so far
was declared on both sides, however.
to be no barometer so far as the final
outcome was concerned. 1t was said
the Senators taking leading parts had
become by long experience so wary of
the dangers of binding agreements on
the subject that they preferred to re-
tain some liberty of action until the
resolutions committee was ready to
On the side of the irreconcilaDles,
senator Borah of Idaho, a member of
the resolutions committee, held off
from final acceptance of the middle
ground plank and kept in readiness
the one prepared by himself and SEN
ator johnson. Representing the mild
reservationists in the platform con-
forences were Senators Kellogg Of
Minnesota, Hale of Maine and Lenroot
or Wisconsin, although none of the
three was on the committee. Com
pleting the lineup, Senator Lodge of
Massachusetts and Senator Watson re-
produced their Washington efforts to
bring the extremes into agreement.
Fundamental Agreement Reached
On the outstanding principles to be
embodied in the plank, all the Senators
have long been in substantial agree
ment. At conferences more than a
week ago in Washington, it is under,
stood, all agreed that the platform
must declare against the covenant of
the league as written at Versailles