New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-24
Wilson Eager
ToRun Again,
Leaders Hear
Reeds Rejection in Missouri
Laid to Presidents Plan
for Campaign With Treaty
as the Paramount Issue
Nomination Awaits Him
Voters Desire for Beer
Costs Hitchcock 10000
Ballots in Nebraska
By Carter Field

From The Tribune's Washing ton Bureau
WASHINGTON, April 23.-Convic-
ton that President Wilson desires a
third term is growing among Demo
Gratis here, although few are as will
ing as ex-senator j. Hamilton Lewis
to admit it openly.
The refusal of the Missouri Demo-
cratic convention. by vote of 1.070
to 400, to permit Senator James A..
Reed to go as a delegate to the San
+ ranclsco convention, although the
Kansas City district delegates duly
elecred him, is another confirmation
to the minds of Democratic leaders
mere that the President is determined
TO run again and to make the peace
treaty the paramount issue.
=, But the Presidents statement that
tne Democratlc party is to be congrat-
ulated IN having an Exceptional or
portunlty" this year in the treaty is
sue does not carry conviction to the
Oemocrats, who will have to do the
hghting IN the Presidential election.
very lew democrats, even up until last
week, thought they would like to risk
making the PRESIDENTIAL campaign on
the peace treaty issue One of these
was Senator Gilbert M. Hitchcock Bnt
in the primary in his own state Tues
day Mr.. Hitchcock believes that some
10000 Germans, who had supported his
organization in the past because thew
wanted beer, went over en- masse into
the Republican primary in order to
vote for Hiram johnson. When it
came to a choice between voting to
slight chance of restoring beer. or
for what looked like a pretty good
chance of making a demonstration
against the peace treaty, they pre-
ferred to swat the treaty.
Treaty Hopes Waning
Mr.. Hitchcock and some of his friends
are not nearly so sure as they were q
few weeks ago that the treaty would
be indorsed by the American people
at Presidential election. This doubt
is increased by the result in Georgia,
where Watson, running on a fiat "kill-
the-treaty" platform. polled several
thousand more votes than Palmer, run
ming on stand blythe Preside mt on
e-peace treaty platform"
But these facts, while convincing
many Democrats of the folly of making
the peace treaty the paramount issue
were all known to the President when
he wrote the letter to Jouett Shouse
read at the Kansas Democratic conven
ton yesterday, in which he referred to
the partys exceptional opportunity and
duty. So the President, according to
the logic of Democratic Senators and
members of the House to-day, is not
at all impressed with the view that the
recent primaries may indicate the un-
popularity of his own position on the
peace treaty.
Friends of Senator Reed among the
Missouri Democrats here to-day were
dumfounded at the action of the Mis-
souri, Democratic convention in refusing
to permit Senator Reed to be a dele
gate, and attributed it to imperative
orders from Washington, perhaps from
the White House itself. They were
almost unanimous in declaring that it
would be next to. impossible for the
Democrats to save the situation in Mis-
souri,. Her eighteen electoral votes,
some of them declared, are safely in
the Republican column now beyond anv
hope of rescue.
One strong friend of Reed declared
that Missouri would go Republican by
from $4,000 to 100000. q
by refusing to recognize the action
OF the 9th District" said a Missouri
Democrat, friendly to Reed, "the con-
ventlon broke the long established
- ~ VIC PUi W, WHICH mas Oecn
that the districts met and made their
choice for delegates, which were al
ways ratified by the state convention
Democrats Face Loss
"To- days action deprives Jackson
County of its right to make it's selec-
ton in this customary way. In the
last election jackson County gave the
Democratic ticket plurality Of 14,6OO
How will these votes go this time. dc
you suppose?
~ don't think the Senator will con.
test the action of the convention. He
knew such a move would be attempted
but is not out making contests. He
can go to the San Francisco conven.
ton anyway if he wants to 60"
The only question among Democrats
here is whether the President can
force his own organization. Despite
some of the primary results and the
private attitude of influential Demo
Gratis who will control blocks of dele
gates, the general opinion still seems
to be that he can. One theory set
forth in favor of this is that the
Democratic National Convention cannot
afford to put itsc.; in the position of
repudlating the President, while prac-