Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-12-21
Middle Group Of Repub~
licans Announce Hos
tility to Knox Proposal
to Say War Is Over.
Lodge Blocks Alabam-
ans Suggestion After
Own Is Cast Over; Fo-
Gus to Come in January.

Washington. Dec. 2O-The peac,
treaty controversy was revived in it
full vigor today. just before the senate
recessed for Christmas
Two new moves for the formal es.
taollshment Of peace, one by ratifica
ton OF the treaty and the other with
out, We're the agencies which reopened
the fight among the divergent elements
or senate membership. Neither proposal
got anywhere. but it was conceded that
the days work would help bring to a
focus early in January the trend oil
senate opinion toward a settlement.
The suggestion which caused the
greatest stir came from Senator Under-
wood: democrat, Alabama, who pro-
posed appointment of a committee of ten
senators to work out compromise rat
Ificatlon OF the treaty. He asked i'm
mediate action but Senator Lodge. OF
Massachusetts,, the republican leader.
forced the resolution over until after the
holidays.
Knox Plan Has No Chance.
The other move came from Senator
Knox of Pennsylvania, former rep.1b-
hcan secretary of state, who secured
APPROVAL of the foreign relations com
mlttee for resolution to repeal the
declaration Of war and to demand of
Germany, on pain Of an economic boy
cott, all the material benefits provided
for under the unratified treaty. The
mild reservation group of republicans
served notice they would not support
such a measure. however, and the dem
ocrats predicted it never would be
adopted.
N lid Group Ready to Back Plan.
Privately the mild group expressed
much dissatisfaction with the days de-
velopments and planned to continue
their efforts for bipartisan agree
ment on reservations They protested
to their party leaders against the Knox
resolution and indicated that they had
been prepared to support the Under
wood proposal il Senator Lodge had not
blocked vote on it.
Senator Underwood. in presenting his
resolution, made a p for active work
toward a compromise during the Christ
mas recess, declaring the country de-
manded peace and that it had been dem
onstrated that little progress in that di-
rection could be made in the open SEN
ate. He suggested that the vice presi-
dent. in naming the ten conferees.
should not act on the advice Of Senator
Lodge and Senator Hitchcock, of Ne.
braska, the acting democratic leader.
Lodge to Consult Mates.
II do not think" said Senator Lodge.
when unanimous consent was asked for
action on the measure, that Just on
the eve of adjournment it would be
possible for me to consent to that. Be
fore l undertake myself to deal with
any such proposition. desire to consult
with the republican membership Of the
senate. perhaps we can deal with this
witt out the appointment of commit
tee"
Manay democratic senator's and mild
Ircservatlonist republicans declared the
Underwood proposal ought to be adopted
when the next attempt is made to get
consideration.
New Plan includes Wilson.
In approving the Knox resolution, the
foreign relations committee divided to 3
along party lines. the only representa-
tive OF the mild reservationsts on the
committee. Senator McCumber. repub-
hcan. North Dakota. being absent.
Before taking final action. the repub-
llcan majority substituted the Knox pro-
pOsal, which would require passage BY
both senate and house and signature by
the president. for one by Senator Lodge,
which was designed to secure action by
congress only.
The move was taken to mean abandon
meDt Of any effort to declare q state of
peace without the concurrence Of Pres-
dent Wilson.
Knox Aims to Break Deadlock.
IT was said by the republican leaders
that the Knox resolution would be
brought forward after the holidays as
a compromise plan, but when Senator
Continued on Page Two)