Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-21
First Open Move for Com.
promise in League Fight
Comes in Proposal from
Administration Quarters.
ASK SENATE TO ADOPT
RESERVATIONS OF KIND
Overture Meets With No In
mediate Success from Re-
pub|iCans, Who Refuse to
ReCede from Their Position.

Washington. Aug. 20.-(By The
Associated Press 1.-THE first open
move for a compromise in the
league of NATIONS fight came from
administration quarters today. EN-
braced in a proposal that the senate
adopt interpretative reservations,
but that they be kept apart from
the actual ratification of the treaty.
The overture met with no lmme-
diate success on the republican side
of the chamber, senators of the re-
publican reservation group declar-
ing they could not recede from
their position that to be effective
the reservations must 60 into the
ratification itself.
Senator Pittman of Nevada, a
democratic member of the foreign
relations committee, presente! the
compromise proposal in the form of
a resolution embodying i'll effect
the four reservations agreed on by
seven republican senator's and de-
claring them to constitute the sen
ate's understanding of disputed
points in the covenant.
In the republican draft, however,
it is expressly provided that the
reservations "be>made a part of the
treaty by the instrument of ratifi-
cation" proviso which Senator
McNary of Oregon and others Of
the group of seven republicans said
they considered absolutely neces-
sary if enough republican votes are
to be gained to secure ratification
of the treaty.
Overcome Objection.
To overcome this objection, Sen
ator Pittman proposed in a :petch
in the senate that the resolution
be adopted at once and submitted
to the other powers who will be rep
resented on the league council. A
general debate developed, during
which Senator Borah, republican,
Idaho, and others took exception
with President Wilson's distinction
between moral and legal obligati ons
under the covenant as expressed i'll
yesterdays White House confer
ence between the president and
the foreign relations committee.
Leaders of the McNary group,
nevertheless, insisted they had in
formation that in the end their plan
would have democratic support.
An attack on the Shantung pro-
vision of the treaty was made IN the
senate by Senator Mccormick, re-
publican, Illinois, who asserted that
by accepting the provision the
United States would become party
to one of the most outrageous exhl,
bitions of "hyprocrisy and violence
i'll the worlds history.
Shantung Provision.
The Shantung provision also was
under consideration before the tor
eign relations committee, which was
told by DR.. J. c. Ferguson, adviser
to the Chinese president, that China
regarded American acceptance OF the
settlement as a deviation from the
traditional policy Of American
friendship to the Chinese govern
ment and people.
Questions by Senator Borah
turned the debate to discussion OF
the moral and legal obligations as
sumcd under article 10 of the cove
nant, by which the members agree
to nreserve one another's territorial
against external aggression.
The article, Mr.. Pittman asserted,
had no legal force because it doesn't
carry the essentials of contract.
"You couldn't take it into a court
of law" he said, "and find any means
by which it could be enforced except
by the conscience of the parties al
fected."
Obligated to France.
But when Germany actually In
vaded France replied Senator
Borah, 1T seems to me that under
Article 10 we would have been obll-
gated to go at once to aid France.
THE matter would have been laid
before congress" said Senator Pitt
man, "and congress would have had
to decide whether we would act. In
my Judgment congress would have
DECIDED we should act and it would
have been a Godsend."
Il agree with that. but still con-
gress would have had no real dis
cretion. 1t would have been COM
PEELED to act if it were going to carry
out its contract" returned Mr..
Borah.