Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-29
PACT TRENDS GLAD
PRESIDENT IS HOME
Believe More Could Be Done by
Convincing Senators Than
Appealing to Public
SILENT COMPROMISE LIKELY
BU a Std6 Correspondent

NJ n StdU Correspondent
Washington. Sept. 29.-President
wilson will make much more heudway
in his fight for ratification of the peace
treaty unamended through conferences
he will hold in Washington with SEN
ators this week, if his health permits,
than he could possibly have gained by
finishing his speech making tour. treaty
supporters in the Senate believe.
With the President back in Wash
ington, his speaking tour cut short by
n physical breakdown, after nearly a
month of addresses throughout the
West, the treaty situation in the Sen
ate is virtually the same as when he
went away.
The Presidents forty speeches have
had no apparent effect in changing
votes in the Senate. Moreover, there is
little evidence in Washington to show
that the speeches had any marked ef-
feet in changing the opinion of the peo-
pie toward the treaty. The telegram
signed by Senator Johnson's friends in
California urging him to cease opposi-
tion to the treaty and league is one
of the few exceptions to this state.
ment.
The news that the President would
abandon the remainder Of his trip and
come right back to Washington was
received last Friday with no uncertain
approval by Democratic supporters Of
the President in the Senate.
Prefer Quiet Confereaces
They are as firmly convinced now
as they were before he went away that
he could do much more effective work
through u series of quiet and informal
conferences with the senators here than
he could by going to the people direct
in an effort to drive the senators into
line for the treaty by discreditipg them
at home.
A vote on adoption of amendments
or reservations to the league of nations
in the Senate is unlikely this week.
f, Speeches, speeches and more speeches
are on the program. so that the week
will most likely be given up entirely to
talk, with no action.
There was every indication at the
beginning of last week that before an
other weeks end there would be a
straight out show down vote on the
johnson amendment and other proposed
amendments that strike at the heart of
the league of nations.
Democratic supporters of the league
appeared anxious for hasty test OF
strength and believed they had votes
enough to defeat the amendments. Re-
publican opponents of the league seemed
equally confident of putting through the
Johnson amendment, although they
thought support could be gained by
going about the matter slowly.
But toward the end of the week
supporters of the Johnson amendment.
which provides that no country shall
have more representatives on the league
Of nations council than the United
States--that England and her five col
onies shall not have six votes-found
beyond question that they lacked the
votes to put it through.
Democratic supporters of the league,
unamended, discovered. on the other
hand, that they could not rally enough
votes to defeat the Johnson amendment
and get it promptly out of the way be-
cause the senators in favor of reserva-
tions, in preference to amendments,
were lined up with the johnson sup
porters to prevent vote being taken.
So the last week ended with no vote
on the treaty or league that would clear
ly show the respective strength of its
supporters and opponents. The present
situation is about like this
First. Vote on the johnson and
Shantuug amendments will not come for
two weeks, and it is doubtful if they
can be adopted then.
Second. Supporters of the four Lodge