Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-10
wilson DEMANDS
TREATY Be ISSUE
Calls on Democrats to lndorse
IN Pact and Condemn
Reservations
LODGE ACCEPTS CHALLENGE
BY the Associated Press

- tfOWu NluhTcly lnIo tHc COmlHR
presidential campaign.
President Wilson formally has called
upon the Democratic party. of which he
Is the titular head. to Endorse and
support the treaty and condemn the
Lodge reservations"
SENATOR Lodge, the Republican leader
In the fight to amend the document,
has accepted the Presidents challenge
and political observers here regard the
issue ns clearly drawn.
Calls League Hope Of World
Mr.. Wilson's views as to the treaty
~ campaign issue were stated in a
telegram last night to G. r. Hamaker,
4 OF Portland, Oregon, chairman Of the
Mnltnomah county Democratic CEN
trial committee.
Declaring that the League of Nations
is the hope of the world" the Presi-
dent said IL was imperative that the
Democratic party 'should at once pro-
claim itself the uncompromising cham
!, pion of the nations honor and the ad
y vocate of everything that the United
States can do in the service of hu-
With w. j. Bryan insisting that the
Democrats accept the reservations
adopted by majority of the Senate.
some observers here expect sharp
fight on the treaty issue at San Fran
cisco. with Senator Hitchcock. Of Ne
braska, probably leading the admins
tration forces.
Senator Lodges comment on the
Presidents telegram follows: "The
Presidents statement has just been read
: to me over the telephone. cannot un-
dertake to discuss it in detail, but, po
lftieally speaking, i am very glad that
he has taken the position he has. It
fully justifies all the opposition Of the
Republican, party and of those who
Joined with Republicans in the Senate. :"
Text Of Wilson'S Telegram
Mr.. Wilson's telegram follows:
White House.
Washington. May 9. 1920.
Hon. q. T.. Hamnker. chairman
Multonomah county Democratic
central committee, Portland, Ore.
think il imperative that the party
should at once proclaim itself the
uncompromising champion Of the ma
everything that the United States
can do in the service Of humanity ::
that it should therefore indorse and
support the Versailles treaty and con-
denim the Lodge reservations as ut
terly inconsistent with the nations
honor and destructive of the world
leadership which it had established
snd which all the free peoples of the
world, including the great powers
ready to welcome. 1t is time that the
party should proudly avow that it
means to try, without flinChing or
turning at any time away from the
path for reasons of expediency, to
apply moral and Christian principles
to the problems of the world.
It is trying to accomplish social,
political and international reforms
and is not daunted by any of the
dihiculties it has to contend with.
= Let us prove to cur late associates in
the war chat at any rate the great
majority party of the nation. the
party which expresses the true hopes
and purposes of the people of the
country, intends to keep faith with
them in peace as well as in war.
Entitled to Our Support
They gave their treasure, their best
blood and everything that they valued
in order, not merely TO beat Ger
many. but to effect a settlement and
bring about arrangements of peace
which they have now tried to formu-
late in the treaty of Versailles. They
are entitled to our support in this
settlement and In the arrangements
for which they have striven.
The League of Nations Is the hone
of the world. As a basis for the
armistice, was authorized by all
the great fighting nations to say to
the enemy that it was our object in
proposing peace TO establish gen
eral association of nations under spe-
cifc covenants for the purpose of af-
fording mutual guarantees Of politi-
cal independence and territorial in
tegrity to great and small states
alike. and the covenant of the League
of Nations is the deliberate embodi-
nent of that purpose in the treaty Of
peace.
The chief motives which led us 10
enter the war will be defeated unless
that covenant is ratified and acted
upon with vigOr. We cannot IN
honor whittle it down or weaken It
as the Republican leaders of the
Senate have proposed to do II we
are to exercise the kind of leadership
to which the founders of the Republic
looked forward and which they de-
pended upon their successors to es-
tablish, we :.lst do this thing with
courage anu unalterable dctermina
tion.
Expect United States to Lead
They expected the United States
10 be always the leader in the
States to be always the leader in the
defense Of liberty and ordered peace
throughout the world. and we are uu
worthy to call ourselves their sue
cessors unless we fulfill the great
purpose they entertained and pro-
claimed.
The true AmeriCanism, the only
true Americanism. is that which puts
America at the front of free nations
and redeems the great promises which
we made the world when we entered
the war which was fought. not for
the advantage of any single nation
or group of nations. but for the sal
walton Of all. 1t is in this way we
shall redeem the sacred blood that
was shed. and make America Che
force she should be in the CounselS Of
mankind. She cannot afford to sink
into the place that nations have
usually occupied and become merely
one of those who scramble and look
about for selfish advantage. The
Democratic party has now great
opportunity to which it must measure
up. The honor of the nation IS in
Its hands. - ~
III. La Barre Jayne
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