Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-05-15
SPLIT IN OREGON OVER WILSON
MESSAGE. .st.

Chambcrlain's Friends Discounted.
but Rally for 4 Fight Over League.
Portland. Ore, May 10-The tel~
gram sent yesterday by President
Wilson to the Democrats of Oregon
in which ho insisted that the treaty
OF peace with the League Of Nationv
without the Lodge reservations be IN
uorsed by tho party has loft tho par
ty in Oregon torn by emotions and
badly split.
The first effect which the telegram
had here WAS to throw into panic
the followers OF Senator George l..
Chamberlain who Is running for re.
nomination in the Democratic prim
aries and who on the last ballot In
the Senate, voted for the ratification
Of the treaty with tho Lodge pro,
gram of reservations. Gradually.
however, the Chamberlain followers
are overcoming their fear Of defeat
and are predicting that Chamberlain
will win over his opponent, Harvey
G. Starkwcather in the primaries on
May 81 regardless Of the Presidents
attitude.
Starkweather is running on a plat
form endorsing tho League Of Nat.
ions without reservations and G. Il.
Hnmaker, chairman Of the Multno.
NAH Democratic County COMMITTEES,
who sent the DR.. f. request which
drew the Presidents message Is Stark
. weather's leading supporter.
Tho possibilities OF tho situation
created as 1t may affect the national
Pr gram Of the Democratic party.
arc looming up ns the al sisnifi.
canoe Of the Presidents telegram is
understood. There has been much
talk here lately that there has been
tuning away among Democrats and
Republicans who have been follow.
Crs Of Wilson and who favored
League Of Nations from the insist
cnt attitude of the President thar
the league must be adopted without
the Republican rescrsatio Or not
at all. In fact it has been common
gossip among political leaders rs well
as the people i'll the Coast States.
that Il compromise probably would be
reached at the Democratic rational
convention in San Francisco.
cd TO change the SITUATION material
ly, and as result the contest which
Ia to be staged mere in the DcmOcrar
&c primary when Chamberlain ana
Starkwc;.thcr battle for tho nOmina
ton for Senator will be in the form
oE test Of the sentiment OH the Leag
lie of Nations issue rs put forward by
PRESIDENT Wilson among the Demo.
cratic voters of tho State.
Those Democrats who feel that the
Presidents sand On the League is
too uncOmpromising and that either
the Lodge reservations should he
accepted or n middle ground program
adopted hold that Chamberlain vic
tory in the primaries here cannot be
viewed by the country otherwise
tran as proof OF opposition to the
Wilson stand. In like manner, repudi'
t,tion Of Chamberlain hy the Demo
Gratis of Oregon would serve to
streGgthen Wilson'S leadership al
San Francisco.
The National phase OF tho situat
ion and the effect that the fight
hero will have in San Francisco
were much discussed today. Lead
era Of both factions OF the Democrat
i. Party in the fight on Chamberlain
were rcticent about committing
themselves on the national issue IN
Wow of the dclicacy OF the situation.
Democratic National Committees
man Morrow who told The New
York Times correspondent last might
that he believed the Democrats OF
Oregon would stand by President
Wilson at the convention in the
event that the president insisted
upon making a clean cut issue Of the
league made the following state
lnent today after careful study OF
tho telegram:
II am in favor of a League or Ma
ti0ns l had hoped for its adoption
witht ut reservations, but rather than
see it fail would consent to such re-
scrvations as would insure its pas
sage, providing such reservations q"
not impair it's usefulness.
DR.. G.. J. Smith, the Democratic
State Chairman, would not comment
On the Presidents telegram, and
other Democratic leaders such as e1
Governor Oswald West. who is one
Ct the principal Chamberlain support
crs preferred to await later develop
ments. ''tTT'sIEis9
$500 80, i ~ ) us: MAS,
DOUBT LINEUP AT SAN
FRANCISCO.