Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-06-18
HOW THE SENATE
WILL HANDLE PACT
PRESIDENT WILSON PROBABLY
WILL DELIVER THE TREATY
TO 1T IN PERSON.
LODGES COMMITTEE GETS IT
There the Document viii Be Subjected
to Careful Study and Debate-Ne.s
Peace Conference May Be Found
Necessary.
By EDWARD q. CLARK

oy EOWAHD 3. CLARK.
Washington.-It is believed to be the
intention of President Wilson to stick
to the precedent which he established
and to deliver in person the treaty of
peace and the covenant of the league
OF nations to the United States sen.
ate, and to accompany the presenta-
ton with a speech of elucidation and
Endorsement.
Already summary of the covenant
or the league of nations and the peace
terms have been given 10 the American
people. but the pacts as they have been
written In extenso probably will be
made public only when the president
appears before the senate.
The means Of making and of secur-
Ing ratification of peace treaties and
international pacts of all kinds is of
particular interest today. In fact, il
Is of greater interest, so some of the
senators seem to think, than anything
In connection with foreign affairs has
been since President Monroe put forth
the doctrine which has become his.
toric.
AS soon as the president has ex.
planned from his point of view all the
sections of the treaty, and of the cove
nant which +, has been made n
part of the treaty. Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge, Republican chairman Of
the committee on foreign relations,
VIII make a motion TO have the treaty
referred to the committee over which
he presides. This motion will be agreed
to unanimously, because such is the
regular procedure.
Lodges Committee to Pass on II.
In the committee there will be hours
OF study and debate given to the sub
Ject In hand. 1t is expected that in n
large measure the committee proceed
ings will take on the semblanee of n
court. Experts on international af-
fairs and on constitutional law will be
summoned to bear testimony. 1t is
even possible that the president of the
United States may be called into con-
ference to give further explanation of
some parts of the document in contro-
versy. The sessions of the foreign re-
lations committee will be executive.
and not until report is made to the
senate will the public have full knowl-
edge of what Is going on.
There has been much discussion as
TO whether or not the senate has the
power to amend the treaty. There is
also a question as to whether or not
the senate has the power to separate
the treaty from the covenant of the
league of nations and to consider the
two things separately.
When the report of the committee Is
laid before the senate the first tests
will come which will tend to show
what the final fate of the document Is
to be. Party lines viii be ignored. be-
cause there are Democratic as well as
Republican opponents of the treaty
and covenant as they stand. 1t may be
that the majority report of the foreign
relations committee will contain
amendments to the treaty. If the mi
nority report contains no amendments
but accepts the documents as they are
the senate could sanction the treaty
and the covenant by the acceptance of
the minority report.
1t takes twO-thirds majority of the
United States senate to ratify treaty
but so far as the proceedings on the
floor are concerned a majority Is sufli-
Client to amend. 1t is for this reason
that amendments will be fought for
and against just as hard as for or
against the treaty itself.
"As Soon as Possible"
There is in the Constitution OF the
| United States q specification that all
peace treaties must be ratified "as
soon as possible" Just how long "as
soon as possible" will mean in the
present case It is hard to forecast. Ger
tain It is that It will take consid-
cradle time for the senate to get
through with the business in hand It
must be remembered that the treaty is
a long one, 10000 words in length, in
fact. The limitations Of human en-.
durance and mental aeumen therefore
will prevent a quick consideration and
adoption or rejection of the document.
An authority has said this concern
ing possible senate procedure:
'If the senate should determine TO
amend the treaty and If, also, other
nations parties 10 the treaty should
fail to concur, the result would be no
treaty at all and new peace confer
ence would have to be called. In case
no amendments are made. the treaty
finally will come up for ratification In
the form In which II is presented"
Senators Themselves In Doubt.
The fog which enveloped two United
States aviators on their approach TO
the coast Of the Azores was no thicker
than that which envelopes the United
States senate to cover up the details
OF prospective action concerning the
treaty Of peace and covenant Of the
league Of nations.
Literally thousands Of sheets have
been covered with writings concerning
the intentions of the senate in these
two high matters and yet confessed
ly today on the part Of many senators
no+htng has been written right, unless