The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-10

shlon at a conference of leaders. ns before the national conven- date.
 Senators Borah of Idnho, Bran- degee of Connecticut and McCor- mick of Illinois represented the ire reconciiables at the conference
 and former Senator Murray Crane of Massachusetts, in pust conven- tions national leader, spoke for the group demanding a plank for league with reservations. Sem ator watson of Indiana, chairman of the convention's resolution com mittee, who was present to repre- sent the party organization, took the role of peaccnaker.
 Tonight the leaders were only half
 heartedly attempting to conceal their apprehensions over the situation. Most 1 of them grimly predicted an agree ment. but none apptared too sure of his ground. In session which prom ! tsed to last through the night a reso- lutions subcommittee. headed by Sen.
 ator Watson sought to find d middle
 course which would hold the party together.
 CRANE URGES RATIFICATION senator Crane, coming unexpectedly , into the swim of convention affairs after several days of quiet conferences, prefaced the irreconcilab ble ultimatum by laying on the council table a pro posal that the party declare affirma- lively for ratification of a League os Nations covenant with safeguarding reservations Backed he said. by the group of mild reservation senators, he indicated that unless such a plank wera , adopted all the dynamite of the League of Nations question would be let loose on the convention floor
 The reply of the irrcconcflables came at once, Phrascd 5u terms which no one misunderst od. With considerable heat, sevtor Bornh told the cOnference1 ohat he and his colleagues nevq. could support my plank declaring nffirmatiyeIy for any ratification of the treaty, reservations or reservations. Should the party adopt such | plank, they declared, they would Immediately and finally part com- pany with il. Tn a desperate effort to bring har. 1 mony, Senator Watson pleaded that the rising animosities of the conferees , be forgotten and that both sides ap- 1 proach the subject with d determina- 1 tion to avoid repetition of the disas- 1 trous break of 1912. But neither side
 receded and the meeting ended in an !
 1 So it stood tonight as the resolu- 1 tions subcommittee of. thirteen sought | to sweat out a solution. Tn the com
 mittee room besides Senator Watson, were Senators Borah and Mccormick for the irreconilables senator Shoot of Utah and nine men of varying l shades of opinion
 OTHER FEVERISH CONFERENCES 1 Outside the committee room. too, | there were series of feverish confer ences as each side sougnt to ascertain bow much of the attitude of its ad- versary was bluff and how much was genuine.
 The irrcconciIabie group solemn Iy assured their party leaders there was not single element or bluff in their programme. and one of them is understood to have de- cIared that should inc party stand
 for my sort of reservation he would resign from the sennte in
 order to cnrry on the fight. What conn 5ction Senator Johnson might have with the move was not re- vealed Throughout the Senate tight he stood shoulder to shoulder with Senator Borah. but talk of possible Johnson bolt has been discounted pS the men who are closest here to the California senator.
 Although the resolutions subeom-
 
 scarcely touched until tonight, on the i League of Nations or any other sup 1 feet of serious controversy. Although | completely overshadowed by the treaty
 situation, the plank on Industrial rela 1 tions was understood to nave cause" some difference of opinion
 ELIMINATE PROHIBITION PLANK i Most of the day was spent In revis- ,inq and passing over the blanks pre- ! pared in preconvention conferences on line basis of findings of the committee | of I'll. IT was decided not to fnciude A plank on prohibition and none oeal- ling in specific terms with the soioier | bonus. ..,o,,. car- ator Watson announced that he did not | believe the platform could be tinisheu in time for presentation to the conven- ton before o'clock tomorrow after noon. ,,, Upon converting at il, Senator watson said the convention probably would have to determine upon a recess until afternoon or other business. A tentative draft of the entire platform except the treaty. Mexican ana laoor blanks, Senator Watson said, nad been made subject to revision in progress l. will be doubtful. he added. whether tness three principal contested planAs s.s,sa,, be ready for the full committee when 1 it meets at o'clock tomorrow. The subcommittee planned to let the run committee work on the uncontested leat- ures while 1t v.rested with the three main provisions Before disposal Of tho | treaty resolution. Senator Watson, said 1 there probably would be conferences be- tween several groups
 The proposed first platform plank De- fore the subcommittee dealing with the
 record of the republican Congress "de- ! spite the unconstitutional and dictatoral course of President Wilson and the par tisan obstruction of the democratic mi-l norlty." was made public tonight b,S Senator Mccormick of Illinois. The provisions of the proposed init plank recited the republican effort5S repeal war legislation and detailed L. \ iation completed by Congress. inclapo S reduction of requested appropr E the railroad. shipping and other The pla.t f~lin~-s, ( THE FIRST PLANE SU. Despite the unconstitutios tatorial course of President S the partisan obstruction --t S cratic minority in CongrtJ osd"sse'u'@ hcan majority adopted constructive legislation