Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-18
KNOX PEACE
PLAN BLOCKED
Senator Unable to Get Action
on Resolutions Estab-
fishing Peace

Washington, Dec. 1S.-Expressions
that seemed to point toward re-
opening of the Peace Treaty fight
within a few weeks were voiced on
the Senate yesterday when the sub
ject bobbed up in the midst of con-
sideration of the railroad bill.
Senator Knox. of Pennsylvania. a
leader in the irreconcilable Repub-
lican 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 resolutions
to establish state of peace. The
effort was blocked. but he obtained
unanimous consent to send the meas
ures to the committee, where he eX-
poets to renew his request for action. /
A plea made by Senator Knox for
some sort of n settlement was sec
onded by Senator Smith, of Georgia,
reservation Democrat, who de-
clared the time had come to stop
academic discussion of who held up
the Treaty and get together in
give-and- take effort for compromise.
Action also was urged by Senator
Nelson, of Minnesota, one of the mild
lCoSl hdllOh anu W
Senator Myers, of Montana, a Demo-
crat, who voted last session for some
reservations and also for unreserved
ratification.
In the compromise negotiations
proceeding at private conference
among Senators the principal activ
ity seemed to be among the Demo-
Gratis.
Among the Democrats there was
4, set - Al nf
feet of the compromise negotiations
on the contest between Senator
Hitchcock, of Nebraska, and Senator
Underwood. of Alabama, for election
as Democratic leader of the Senat>
The negotiations started yesterday
with the mild reservation Republic
cans were conducted by Senator I'm
derwood's supporters, but he de-
clared last night that while he stood
for some sort of compromise he was
not in revolt against President Will
son nor leading any sort of opposi-
ton to the Treaty.
Blocked by McKcller
Consideration of the first of Sem
ator Knox's resolutions which would
ratify the Treaty insofar as establish
ment of state of peace is concerned,
was blocked by Senator Mcclellan,
Democrat, Tennessee, while Senator
Nelson stopped the second one, pro-
posing merely to declare that state
of peace exists.
In view of the attitude of Presi-
dent Wilson. Senator Knox declared.
the Senate should proceed in its own
way to secure formal peace ST. rs,
working out the best solution it could
at once.
Responsibility for the delay was
declared by Senator Smith to be
about $3.50" between the two par
ties. 1t was only waste of time
to try to fiXe the blame, he assorted,
adding that in his opinion more than
two thirds of the Senate favored rati-
fication with reservations of GER
tain kind, the phraseology of which
could easily be worked out If the real
friends of the Treaty were to come
together in conference.
I'VE will make no progress by
elimination and recriminatiop," said
Senator Smith. Let us cease trying
to find out who is to blame for the
delay and bring the delay to an end.
Party politics should not be played
with a matter of such importance.
Ratification must be by nonpartisan
action, and every effort to gain parti-
san advantage handicaps ratifica-
ton"
Play For Both Parties
Senator Myers said both parties
had been making a political fo
ball 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 farther in
an effort to end unsettled business
conditions.
Senator Nelson said he would
favor the Knox plan if it were made
more definite so as to declare Specih-
cally that the League of Nations pro-
visions are excepted from approval.
I'm heartily for the Treaty with
| the Lodge reservations" he said,
but if we can't have that, 1 will
vote for the resolution of Senator
Knox if it clearly expresses that all
of the terms except the League of
Nations are approved"