The Washington times., 1911-02-13
PREDICT ADOPTION
OF FREC|PROCITYBILL
Some Senators, Who Are Op.
posed, Say Pact Will Be
Ratified.

That President Taft Is going to be
able to force Congress to ratify the
Canadian reciprocity agreement is the
conviction which is steadily growing
about the Capitol
A remarkable change in the situa-
tton has come about since the Presi-
dent sent the reciprocity agreement to
Congress. Then, 1t was said on every
hand that the reciprocity agreement
had no show whatever at this session
and that it was doubtful whether 1t
would ever be ratified. Now, with the
4iouse certain to pass the measure rat
Tying the agreement, there Is some
prospect of ratification this session and
practically a certainty that If Congress
! is called back in extra session and a
vote forced the agreement will be in
dorsed.
The sticking point, as everyone un-
derstands, is in the Senate. And the
situation in that body is such that
some of the Senators who are opposed
to the agreement are saying openly
that 1t Is going to be adopted. By this.
they mean that it may come to a vote
this session and IL so It will be passed;
but II IT does not come to a vote now
and an extra session is called, it will
30 through.
Opposition Not Conspicous
1t is learned that some Representa-
tives Of the lumber interests, who have
come on here to fight the agreement,
have been told that the agreement cam
not be headed off. And they have re-
ceived this Information from Senators
who do not want it ratified.
q M AZ Of he tn ;c Hnd-
ing out that President Taft has a pow
erful weight of public sentiment on his
side. 1t is true there is opposition from
some of the farming interests. from the
lumber interests, and from some Of the
ultra high protectionists. But a good
many Senators are finding that the
agreement is falling to kick up the OPP
position in their States that they sup
posed =. would.
Tine fact that Senator Beveridge has
come out III strcng speech FOR the
agreement has had some effect In en-
CouraginC other Senators to take a
stand. Most of the Senators have been
loath 10 commit themselves one way or
the otHer, but are showing a little more
tenden9y now to come out into the open.
President May Force Support.
It is experted the agreement in the
Senate will get twenty-seven or twenty
eight Democratic votes. Forty-Seven
votes will be required to pass it. This
means that about twenty Republicans
will have 10 support 1t, il 1t passes.
This applies to the present Congress.
In the next, the agreement will have
more Democratic support and will need
fewer Republican votes.
1t is not difficult TO figure out twenty
votes for the agreement Senators who
are counted on as either committed 10
the agreement or pretty certain to line
up for il are BeVeridge, Brown, Burkett,
Burton, Crane. CullOm. Curtis, Depew,
Flint, Page. Lodge, Root. Warner,
RrandeGee Dixon and du Pont, This
makes sixteen. Uncertainty prevails as
to the attitude Of Crawford. Smith of
Michigan. Clark of Wyoming. Carter,
Warren, Bradley, Guggenheim. Kean.
Nixon. Perkins. Richardson, Scott.
Bourne, Wetmore, and Sutherland. But
under Administration pressure the
President can secure enough votes out
OF this list TO bring about passage OF
the agreement.
Absolute Free Trade Favored.
Senators Borah, Briggs. Bristow,
BulkeIey. Burnham, Burrows, Clapp,
Dick, Dillingham;. Frye. Toung, Gal
Iinger. Gamble, Gronna, Hale. Hepburn,
Jones LaFollette Lorimer. McCumber,
Nelson, Oliver, Penrose, Piles, Smoot,
and Stephenson are generally looked on
as hostile. Some of them are openly
so. In this list are twenty-siX. The
President will be unable to win over
many of these Senators.
Senator Cummins has declared himself
for reciprocity, but he wants a more
extended free list, so the arrangement
will be fairer to the farmer. He does
not say he will vote against the agree
ment, and some of his friends think he
will do so rather than take the RESPONSE
bility for killing the agreement.
One of the interesting things about
the situation is that the discussion of
the agreement has brought out a lot
of sentiment for absolute free Ira
with Canada. Even some of the lumber
representatives declare they will stand
for that. 1t may be expected that II
the agreement goes through, there will
be a powerful movement to tear down
completely the trade barriers between
this nation and Canada.