New-York tribune., 1920-06-19
Republicans Welcome a
Referendum on Treaty.
Says Candidate in His
Reply to the President
Senators Clad
Issue Is Joined
Reservations Will Be De-
manded by the Party,
ID en- ocrat Declares

WASHINGTON, June 18.-Sena-
tor Harding, the Republican Presi
Dental nominee, to-day answered
President Wilson's challenge to make
the peace treaty the dominant issue
in the coming campaign with a
statement that the Republican party
would welcome the move.
The Republican candidate, in re-
plying to President Wilson's decla-
rations as contained in an interview
published to-day, said:
II am sure the Republican party
Will gladly welcome a referendum on
the question Of the foreign relation
ship Of the Republic, and the Re-
publican attitude Of preserved ma
tionality will be overwhelmingly in
dorsed.'
Republican leaders Joined sena-
tor Harding in asserting they would
gladly accept the issue as set forth by
Mr.. Wilson.
In line with this attitude a Demo
crat who has stood with tie Admins
tratlon in many of its policies, but who
has opposed Mr. Wilson on the treaty,
to-day vehemently disagreed with the
idea that the San Francisco convention
must declare for the League of Ma
tions as espoused by the President.
THE San Francisco convention," he
predicted, "will not declare fer un-
qualified ratification of the mt
Of the League of Nations and treaty
II Will not be negative in its character
as to reservations, but on the contrary
viii declare for the treaty with certain
reservations. making the declaration
positive rather than negative in char
acter
'l1 will be driven to this course ty
the attitude Of the Republican CON
Ventlon on the subject. Any other
course than this would be suicidal in
political sense.
Must Regard Peoples Demand
The great mass Of the people favor
League of Nations, but they favor it
with reservations, and the Democrat
convention must satisfy that demand
1t 1t hopes that the party will achieve
victory in November"
This Democrat pointed out that
twenty one Democrats voted for the
,reaty with the Lodge reservations and
declared that there were other Demo
Gratis who would have voted for 1t if
their votes would have decided the
controversy.
"The position Of these Senators must
not be repudiated by the Democratic
convention.' he declared.
Tho third term" appeal in the
Presidents interview likewise was not
lost sight of by Republican leaders,
who read the document with absorbing
interest
"The interview simply illustrate
that the President still adheres to his
IDOLS Representative Mondell. Repub
llcau leader of the House, declared.
The interview was. interpreted in
some quarters as direct appeal by
the President to those members of the
Republican party who feel that sur
render was made of progressive prin-
ciples in the selection Of Senator Hard
ing as the candidate.
King Says People Want League
Senator King, Democrat of Utah, a
"rcs cservationist" supporter of the
League, said:
The Republican platform inevitably
made the issues when it declare d
against any League of Nations The
platform was a negation of the moral
forces which must operate among civil
ized nations. 1t was likewise reaction
ary as to domestic policies. Presiden,
Wilson recognized this and with re-
markable precision placed his finger on
the issues thus made. The American
people do believe in. concert Of
thc free nations of the world. They
believe in League of Nations and they
believe in this league with some
effectiveness. l know President wills on
is leaving the door open for reserva-
CONTINUED neat psue)