The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-10

of two years, 1t could be repudiated by
this or any other country.
In this connection, the Alabama senator
said:
M President. 1 have not occupied
the time of the Senate IN giving my views
in reference to this treaty. 1 have been
so concerned that the peace of the weird
might ne consu Ihaated. and that the con-
clusion of this war might be reached at
an early date, that 1 preferred through
these months t. sit in silence rather than
further delay action on the consummatlon
of this treaty, but the time has come when
the people who believe that the most Inn
portant question before this nation is the
contamination of peace must determine
on what action they are going to take.
Il do not suppose there is mac IN
the Senate of the United States who, II
he had the power to write this treaty III
the beginning would have written Ii IN
the exact form in which we find it before
the Senate. More than that, do not sup
pose for one minute that if the Presluent
of the United States had had full power
to write this treaty he would have written
a treaty such as now pending before us
in all it's provisions. Unquestionably thus
is a document CT compromise-the COM
promises of 26 nations sitting at the peace
table trying to work out their differences
and solve their difficulties in an inseru-
ment that might bring about. the peace OIL
the world The primary question pettre
the Senate is as to whether or not we
shall accent this treaty, though we may
differ from it in part, and consumE;ate
the peace of our country or whether we
shall reject i and send it back INTO
the turmoils Of European politics.
"Of course + am not now going INTO
the question Of discussing how far we
might make reservations or interpreted
lions that will endanSer the peace OF
the world, or how far we might go and
further endanger the peace of the world
and the rejection of this treaty.
IT do not think that is necessary from
my standpoint. I am not going to take
any chances about it at all. If this treaty
does not work out all right in two years
we can repudiate it, and I think that IS
sufficient to prot ect my country from auJ
dangers that might arise out of 1t; out
think the straight road to the conclusion
of peace is the ratification of this treaty
without amendp1ent and without reserva-
ton
The ruling Of the vice president that
reservations might be voted on independ
emily and not exclusively in conjunction
with the resolution of ratification. sorrc-
what upset the democratic plan of cam
paign.
Prior to that ruling the correctness or
winch many JueSIlOIeu, Tic oiludeiOi " ~
such that an inpasse was unavoidable.
Speaking in that connection, Senator
Underwood said
81 think, Mr. President, that we might
as well recognize that we are up against
this proposition in my judgment, that the
senator from Massachusetts and those
who agree with him will ultimately pro-
pose a. resolution of ratification that meets
their conclusions, which in all human
probability will not command two-thirds
vote in the Senate When that is defeat
ed, undoubtedly resolution of ratiica-
ton without reservations, unless some
other resolution of ratification preceded
it, will be offered AS to whether that can
command two-thirds vote do not know
and I do not predict.
IF it does. the treaty is ratified. II 1t
does not, then he treaty will still be be-
fore the Senate, and will have reached
a status where those who believe in I'M
conditional ratification will know that we
can not have our way and those who are
proposing drastic amendments or reserva-
tions will know that they can not nave
their way, and then the question as to
whether the Senate and the President can
reach d compromise by which the treaty
can be agreed to. that will be acknowi-