Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-02
WILSON may
PARTY
OVER LEAGUE
Democratic Leaders Fear He
Viii! Destroy All Chance Of
Success at Election Unless
He Has His Own WAY.
Determined TO FORCE
NATIONAL REFERENDUM
Won't Accept Ratification a.
Qualified by Lodge Reserva.
tions and, Failing to Garry
Point, May Form New Party.

'S'o s"N's N'u'S w S'J
Point, May Form New Party.
Washington, March 1.-(By Chi.
cago Tribune-Omaha Bee Leased
Wire. Fear that President Wilson
may split his party wide open on
the league issue and destroy all
chances of success at the November
election unless he has his cwn way
in the treaty fight has resulted in
noticeable s.iffening of the admin
istration defenses in the senate and
rendering ratification hopeless ac-
cording to polls made today.
The president, his closest follow
ers said today, has made up his mind
to force national referendum on
the question of whether the United
States should enter the league "just
as it is" He will not object to the
"interpretative reservations" but he
will demand that the democratic ma
tional convention take stand in
favor of the league covenant with
out change of meaning" according
to his followers in the senate. He is
determined aever to accept ratifica-
ton as qualified by the Lodge reser-
vations and failing to carry his point
in the democratic convention, he
might repudiate the platform, bolt.
and lead a third ticket favoring the
league, it was hinted by democratic
senators, who were of the opinion,
however. that Mr.. Wilson would be
able still to dominate the conven-
ton.
Terrifies Followers.
'Th e president has literally ter
rlfisd a good many of my colleagues.
into submission on the league is
sue" said one democratic senator to-
day. II believe that we are not only
postponiiig trouble, however, be-
cause there will be considerable .
split in the party if we attempt to
stand for the league without change"
Senator Hitcheock, however. bcsE
lieves that if the league is an issue
the republicans will be divided and
that chances of democratic success
would be improved.
Canvass of the democratic SEN
ators today showed that not less
THAI "a democratic senator's could be
,ounted to stand by the president to
the end. Probably there will be more,
but these, it was stated, have given
their pledged word that they will
never vote for ratification with the
Lodge reservations attached.
Republican Discussion.
On the republican side, consider.
able discussion is going on over the
treaty plan for the republican plat
form. 1t was generally agreed that.
the national convention would have
to support the action of the republi-
can senate and it was suggested that
the form OF the declaration should be
along these lines: That the republi-
can party herewith endorses the re-
fusal of the senate to ratify the
peace treaty without reservations
necessary to safeguard American ip-
te, ests. 1t was pointed out that such
a plank would be of sufficient width
to command the support of practi-
ca'ly all factions in the treaty fight
With all factions virtually conced-
ing rejection of the treaty, the dis
position OF the senate is now to drop
talk of reservations and hurry the
pact to final showdown this week
Opinion Against Treaty.
The dismissal of Secretary OF
State Lansing and the Fiume con-
troversy have>set the tide of public
opinion runntrg strongly in the di.
rection of flat rejection of the peacs
treaty, according to Senator McCor.
mick of Illinois,. who returned to
today from visist
among his constituents.
IF I may judge from what ]
heard on every side during my visit
to southern and central Illinois and
10 Chicago, the Lansing incident and
the Fiume controversy have alarmed
thousands upon thousands Of people
as to the costly consequences of
our involvement in European terri
torial quarrels and the dangers into
which the executive might lead us
under an established policy of in
the senator said s"Men
and women who favored ratification
with reservations six weeks ago now
are opposed to ratification of the
treaty They are coming to under
stand that ratification has no bear
ng upon foreign exchanges; and
uorc upon exports from
his country"
Drop Compromise Negotiations.
Convinced that for the present
their labors to break the peace trea-
~ deadlock are waste of time, SEN
ate leaders moved today to get the
treaty out of the way of pressing
legislation and to let issues raised by
he ratification fight 60 into the po-
iucal campaign,
Under the plan, compromise nego-
tiations on the reservation to article
10 are to be dropped, readoption of
Ahe republican reservation program
ST last session is to be completed as
4 formality, and then final vote is.
10 be taken TO put the treaty into the :.
L