The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-10
BLAME FOR PEACE
|. TREATY DELAY IS
/. PLACED ON WILSON
Lawrence Asserts Presidents
Refusal to Accept Compro-
mise Or Offer One Is Real
Cause of Trouble in Senate.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Correspondent of The New
CcinalfarN

Especial Correspondent of The News
Sclmltar.)
WASHINGTON Dec. l0.--Who is re-
sponsible for the present delay IN
bringing about the ratification of the
peace treaty? The truth may come as
a shock to the many friends of the
league Of nations and peace treaty who
had believed President fWilsan was
ready to accept a series of reservations
and interpretations that would not i'm
pair the league or the efficacy OF the
peace treaty, but II is a fact that Mi,
Wilson not only will not take the in
itiative in making compromise but he
has refused to permit Senator Hitch
cock to engage in negotiations with Re-
publican fartors looking toward that
end.
The Nebraska senator Is, Of course,
free to enter into such n comprise with
opposition senators, butjwhat would
be the eventual attitudeFo OF the presi-
dent toward the compromise Is abso-
lutely unknown even to Mr.. Hitchcock
There Is much perplexity over the po'
sition which has been adopted by the
president, criticism Of his course. heIns
expressed by friends as we'll as foes.
Because after all, while II is true
that the tactics of the senate leaders,
and the record OF what transpired III
the debate at the closing hours Of the
session, establishes clearly the uncon-
promising position Of the treaty oppon-
ents, the willingness of the president
to accept compromise is nowhere on
record -,E
Most people have taken it for granted
that MIR Wilson would accept coni-
promise, eventually, and that he was
sticking to his guns very much as u
man In a commercial bargain. VINO
wants to hold out till the last minute
Hour for Compromise.
But the hour for compromise has ar.
rived The resolution providing for an
unqualified adoption OF the peace treaty
has been defeated. Twenty Republican
senators stand ready to agree e. reser-
vations which As Democrats VIII ac-
cept, thus making 65 senators In favor
OF a ratification Of the peace treaty
Witch, ~ one more than y necessary,
| tion between President Wilson and
Senator Hitchcock last Friday as the
latter fingered behind when Senator
Fall of New Mexico lest the sick cham
ber has not been revealed, nut "
doesn't take Capitol Hill long TO slzc
UP the situation. ~
Coupled with sundry things that have
come to light SINCE last week concern,
ing the presidents attitude toward
compromise there is no escaping the
conclusion that MIR, Wilson sun pe-
leves he can get the treaty through
the senate Wililout Nltfli ie1SS N"NiNS' -
any,
The attitude of many of his friends
Ia entirely different They see. prac.
tlcal situation. They see the senate
| leaders, committed to certain courses OF
action Tney see many honest DOUBTS
| raised by some of the Republican ssha
| tors concerning ambiguous phrases o.
| the treaty They believe in league OF
nations safeguarded against miscon-
| struction or misappropriation OF the
military and naval forces of the United
| States.
Ready to Swallow Much, -
They see foreign governments oh
! iecting to the preamble and certain
| reservations but ready in these critical
| days to swallow good deal more than
\ they might have been willing to aceep'
| two weeks or two months ago, They
| too are in compromising mood, for
! the need of the moral and material sup
| port OF the United States In the process
\ of reconstruction Is so acute that no
price seems too great to pay to get
| Americas help.
Yet, there Is no necessity of making
| the price as extreme as 1t looked at
| first, For many Of the Republicans
| are ready to modify the preamble as
we'll as certain OF the Objectionable res
| eryations.
Two developments may come out Of
| the present situation. Either Pra'f,NNt
| Wilson VIII modify his persistent the.
| cry that the internationai situatlOa "hl
| eventually compel the senate to act OF
| its own initiative, or the Democratic
| senators under the leadership Of Sena-
| tor Hitchcock will go 1t alone
| In the latter case, they would under
| take. with the assistance Of the Re-
! publican leaders, to work out a com
| promise Senator Lodge is reported to
| he unwilling to talk compromise with
| Senator Hitchcock unless the latter has
| the explicit authorization Of the presi-
| dent
| On the other hand, in the elusive
game OF where the responsibility for
| deIav should lie, the Massachusetts sen
| ator would certainly not maintain such
an attitude II Senator Hitchcock ap-
| nroached him as the leader OF the Dem =
ocrats who were willing to accept res
| ervations and vote upon the same ir-
respective of whether they were to the
taste OF the president.
Mr., Wilson'S course Of dogged silence
| is fraught with many dangers He may
| split his own friendly following In tho
| senate and kin efforts at compromise
Mary Republicans who don't want to
see the treaty or the league established
would be glad II Mr.. Wilson were
| clearly held responsible for the killing
| Of the pact. But the true friends Of
| the treaty inside and outside the sena te
| care much less about the pride OF the
| president or the pride OF the senators
| than they do about getting, a treaty of
| peace ratified that will be aNstart, how
| ever imperfect. toward the reconstruc
| tion OF a war-t torn world
| Copyright 1919. by David Lawrence