Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-28
EXTENT OF COX'S
VIEWS ON LEAGUE
CAUSES ANXIETY
Democrats Speculate on How
Far He Can Go Along
WIKI President.
BY \. O. MESSENGER.

Democratic politicians in their talks
with each other manifest considerable
anxiety as To how far Candidate Cox
can go along with President Wilson
on the league of nations and still sat
iSfy the large following of democrats
who hold to a less rigorous interpre-
1ation Of the covenant than the Presi-
dents. The question. as many of
them see it. is whether Mr.. Cox will
J. stronger at the polls by adhering
strictly To the Presidents position or
modifying il 10 conform TO the demo-
cratic senators who voted for reser-
Nations.
Their concern is occasioned by the
prevalence of reports from Dayton
and columbus that Gov. Cox is as
suredly disposed toward very liberal
reservations to the covenant. These
reports arevcircumstantial and in alb
solute agreement in tenor to that eff
feet. They are brought to Washing
with the candidate.
independent Votes Issue.
The politicians in mulling over
these first-hand advices from the can
d!date's headquarters are asking eact.
other, can Mr.. Cox afford to disap-
point the vast number of democrats
and of Independent voters as well.
who still firmly stand by the Presi-
dent in his position on the treaty
And on the other hand. can he be
obllvioUS TO the attitude of another
element of voters who are inclined
toward reservations wider in scope
than the President is understood to
favor?
The outstanding fact which politi-
clans believe gives Candidate Cox
most cause for thought and consider
alton is that twenty-one democratic
senators voted for ratification of the
treaty with the Lodge reservations
every democrat from northern
state except Johnson of South Da-
kota and Hitchcock of Nebraska.
democratic senators to the number of
twentythree voted against ratifica-
tion. although some of them were
known to favor reservations.
Some Convictions Differ.
Therein was recorded disagreement
on the construction of the covenant
President Wilson held that the reser
VationS effected notification, and
1wenty-three democratic senators, in
Guiding those who privately thought
otherwise. sustained his contention by
their vote. The question which is
said to confront Candidate Cox is how
10 conform the platform declaration
on the treaty. as to which he and
President Wilson agree, with the
opiniops and wishes of an important
element of the democratic party. al
ready recorded in a vote in the Sem
ate and known by other tokens To
exist.
Emerging from his conference at
the White House a, week ago last
Sunday, Gov. Cox. Speaking of the
President. said: We are agreed as
TO the meaning and sufficiency of the
democratic platform and the duty of
the party in the face of threatened
bad faith to the world in the name of
America. His thought is still OF the
war and the pledges We gave TO those
who sacrificed One easily sees tnat
as the leader of the nation, who asked
for our sons and our resources upon
very distinct understanding and
obligation. he is resolved that the
faith shall be kept. To this his
thought and life are dedicated. What
ne promised ] shall. if elected. en-
Geavor with all my strength to give.
For "CIear- Reservations.
The platform declarations upon
which Gov Cox said he and the Pres
ident were agreed "as to meaning
and sufficiency.' contained. among
others. these statements: I'VE com
mend the President for his courage
and his high conception of good faith
in steadfastly standing to the COW
enant agreed to by all the associated
and allied nations at war with Ger
many" and a little farther along,
we indorse the Presidents view of
our international obligations and his
firm stand against reservations de-
signed to cut to pieces the vital pro-
visions of the Versailles treaty. and
then this: I'VE advocate the imme-
Giate ratification of the treaty with
=. .,..I. Ia tr,1v. 10
its essential integrity; but We do
not oppose the acceptance of any
reservations making clearer or more
specific the obligations of the United
States 10 the league associates"
Objections raised at San Francisco
that the last sentence seemed to ac-
Centuate the obligations of the United
States to the foreign allied powers,
but said nothing about the rights of
The United States. were answered by
incorporation of the following clause:
The President has repeatedly de-
clared. and this convention affrms.
that all our duties and obligations as
Z. member of the league must be full
filled in strlct conformity win the
Constitution of the United States, en-
bodied In which is the fundamental
requirement of declaratory action by
the Congress before this nation may
become a participant in any war
One Record Involved.
Members on the committee on plat
form who pointed out that the SEN
:te had proposed to incorporate this
:dea in a specific reservation were told
that President Wilson considered such
&. declaration a matter of "scrupulous
supereroga CATION, that. according to
the Presidents statement:
1T was understood as matter of
course at the conference in Paris that
whatever obligations any government
assumed or whatever duties it under
took under the treaty would, OF
course, have 10 be fulfilled by its
usual and established constitutional
,rethods of action.
II was noted today that one demo
cratic senator is finding no difficulty
in sQuarinS the platform and the res
ervations. y dispatch from Atlanta
quotes Senator Hoke Smith. in his
candidacy for reelection. as standing
-squarely upon the democratic ma
iionaI platform and his public record