The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-18
|REOPENLNG OF TREATY FIGHT NV THE SENA TIE
 SHORTLY IS INDICATE
Expressions of Views of All Factions Indicate Desire to Forget Politics and s,Reach an Agreement on Treaty Ratification.
By Associated Pres.


 Expressions that seemed to Epoint toward a reopening of the peace treaty fight within a few weeks were voiced on the Senate floor today, when the subject. bobbed up in the midst of consideration of the Erailroad bill.s
 The symposium of views that went into the record during the brief debate includ- ed opinions from virtually all factions of the divided Senate membership, but they E sll struck note of conciliation. Differ x ing widely in their suggestions for a so- lution. they stood together on the gem esal proposition that politics ought to be. forgotten and that the Senate. acting in- dependent of executive opinion, ought to do something promptly to end suspense and establish state of peace
 The discussion reflected the trend of negotiations which have been in progress ! privately among senators for an agree 5 ment that would get the question finally out of the way. There was increased ac- E tlvity in that direction during the day, and some of the leaders predicted some formal action early in the new year. ! KNOX STARTS DISCUSSION Senator Knox of Pennsylvania, a leader in the irreconcilable republican group of treaty opponents and member of the foreign relations committee, brought the subject to the floor by another attempt to get before the Senate his two resolu- tions to establish state of peace, The effort was blocked, but he obtained unanimous consent to send the measures to the committee, where he expects to renew his request for action
 plea was made by Senator Knox for some sort of a settlement and was seconded by Senator Smith of Georgia, a reservation democrat who declared the time had come to stop academic discus sion of who held up the treaty and get together in a give-and-take effort for compromise. Action also was urged by Senator Nelson Nof Minnesota, one of the mild reservation republicans, and by Sem ator Myers of Montana, democrat, who voted last session for some reservations and also for unreserved ratification.
 DEMOCRATS ACTIVE
 In the compromise negotiations pro- ceeding at private conferences among senators the principal activity seemed to be- among the democrats, the republican reservationists indicating that they awaited some concrete proposal from the other side of the aisle. The democratic managers were hopeful that such an agreement soon would be reached, but they predicted it would not take tangible form until after the holidays.
 Among the democrats there was much discussion of the possible effect of the compromise negotiations on the contest If ah rIra ator Underwood of Alabama for election as democratic leader of the Senate The negotiations started yesterday with the mild reservation republicans were con ducted by Senator Underwoods support CTS. but he declared tonight that while he stood for some sort of compromise he was not in revolt against President Will son nor leading any sort of opposition to the treaty.
 CONSIDERATION BLOCKED
 Consideration of the first of Senator Knox's resolutions, which would ratify the traty in so far as establishment of state of peace Is concerned. was blocked by Senator McKeller, democrat, Tennes- see. while Senator Nelson stopped the second one, proposing merely to declare that state of peace exists.
 In view of the attitude of President Wilson, Senator Knox declared, the Sen ate would proceed in it's own way to se- cure formal peace status, working out the best solution it could at once.
 Responsibility for the delay was de- clared by Senator Smith to be about ffty-ifty" between the two parties. It was only a waste of time to try to fix the blame he asserted, adding that in his opinion more than tWo-thirds of the Senate favored notifications with reserva- tions of . certain kind, the phraseoIogy pr which could easily be worked if Il. anl A.f> AA kA. A.1 &~~ &<> como together in conference.
 We will mako no progress by crimina- ton and recrimination," said Senator Smith. Let us cease trying to find out who fs to blame for the delay and bring the delay to an end. Party politics should not be played with a matter of such i'm portane Ratification must be by non partisan action, and every effort to gain partisan advantage handicaps ratlrca- tion." i
 BOTH SIDES TO BLAME
 Senator Myers said both parties had been making political football of the treaty" He recounted how he had voted in the last session, and said that if the treaty came up again he would go even further in an effort to end unsettled bust ness conditions.
 The Senate on its own initiative should end this confusion and ratify the treaty." said Senator Myers
 Senator Nelson said he would favor the Knox plan if it were made more definite sO as to declare specifically that the League of Nations provisions are ex- cepted from approval
 srm heartily for the treaty with the Lodge reeerv ations," he said. but if we can't havs that. I VIII vote for the res cautfon of Senator Knox if it clearly ex- prssses that all of the terms except the League of Nations are approved"