The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-18
MAY EXPEDITE
RATIFICATION
Republicans Propose Agree
ment to Interpret Accept
ance of Disputed Points.
PLAN PARTLY CONVINCING
McCumber Regards His Talk
With Wilson "Too Conf
Dental to Discuss"
fBY J. BART CAMPBELL.l


washington, July 1s-U. N ST.
Republican senators who were 70
discuss the peace treaty with the
president at the white House today
As well as those who conferred with
him there yesterday, expressed the
opinion today that the senate's rati-
fication OF the document might DE
expedited by an agreement that SEN
ators be permitted to interpret tne
senate's acceptance OF certain OF the
disputed provisions or resolution OF
ratification.
Administration senators said that
n the proposed interpretations were
confined to explanatory ones-ano
could In no way be construed, teen
nically or otherwise, as actually
amending or Preserving" the text OF
the treaty, they could see no obJec-
tion TO them II they were confined 70
fional rights of congress TO invoNe
fhe United States in war, iInmlgra-
ton. the tariff and other domestic
questions.
senator McCumber, Of North Da-
kota, republican advocate OF .he
league Of nations, who saw tne
president yesterday, but said ne re-
rarded his conference with the presi.
dent as too confidential 20 discuss
admitted that he was still OF the
on,nion that the presidents desire
~ have the treaty specify ratlneo
Nv the senate might be realized II
those senators opposed TO 1t In It's
,.rasent form were allowed to record
exnlanations Of how they regarded
ire league covenant, the Shantung
settlement and others OF its pro-
VISIONS. which they have assailed.
Opposed TO Any Amendments.
II was learned that the president
bsd informed Senator McCumber. as
well As Senators Colt, of Rhode
island. and Nelson, OF Minnesota, the
other republican senators he saw yes
ferday. that he was unqualifiedly OPP
nosed to any sort of textual amend
merts or reservations his antagonists
might attempt to bring up IN Ine
senate or In the senate foreign reia
lions committee. as the adoption OF
4 single material change In the text
Of the treaty would again throw II
open to the twenty-one nations
whose peace commissioners signed !.
in the final official form he submitted
Il to the senate.
AZ the same time II was pointed
out to the president by Senators Nc
cnmber. Colt and Nelson in friend
" way that they believed II the SEN
atorial opposition to the league OF
nations, for instance, was permitted
"a express itself as to how the United
States In their judgment was to De
70 the league covenant
especially with regard to domestic
n,5estions. any concerted effort to
block the early ratification OF the
treaty would be overcome.
The president was also informed
bv his senatorial visitors that out
ard-out opposition to the entry OF
the United States into the league OF
nations would most likely be limited
"a Senators Borah. of idaho; Sher-
nan. OF Illinois: Poindexter. of Wash
ngton; Fall, of New Mexico. and
Johnson. OF California, republicans,
ma Reed, Of Missouri, democrat, al
though there was a pool of senators
ike Knox, of Pennsylvania; Balm
bridge. of Connecticut, and McCor-
mick, &C Illinois, holding out to the
ast.
Last OF Invited Conferences.
The republican senators who were
70 see the president today were Nc
Nary, of Oregon. an uncompromis-
ng advocate of the present treaty
without amendment or reservation;