Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-14

tBy Morning Journa
Washington, Aug. lS.--(By the As
sociated Press. 1.-The trend towart
agreement on reservations in th'
peace treaty reached the stage toda!
where the group of republican sena
tors advocating reservations received
! assurances which they accepted a
guaranteeing democratic assent t
their program.
| Word reached members of tn,
group, 1t was said, that as soon a.
they could pledge a score of repub
| lican votes for reservations to thu
| league of nations covenant along the
! line recently agreed on by seven re
| publican senators, the administrators
| forces in the senate would be willini
| to line up on that basis for ratifica
ton of the treaty.
Lodge win Agree.
There was an intlmation also thai
the reservationlsts had reason TO be-
heve their ranks eventually would in
ciude senator Lodge, chairman of the
foreign relations committee and re-
| publican leader of the senate.
Twenty republicans, 1t was de-
clared, would be enough with the ad-
| mlnistration democrats to make VI
the two thirds necessary for ratlfica-
! ton. The program on which it as
sought to unite these elements con-
templates reservations to further pro-
tect the Monroe dostrine, to insure
domestic control over domestic ques.
tions, TO amplify the right of with.
drawal and TO fortify the power oi
congress TO decide questions of peace
or war under Article ten.
1t was declared the information
that democrats were in receptive
mood toward such proposal did not
come from Senator Hitchcock, OF
Nebraska, the administration leader
but from a source considered entirely
authoritative. The Nebraska senator
himself denied that he had taken
part in any such negotiations and
said his advocacy of undeserved satt-
ucation remained unaltered. Mr..
Lodge elso denied that he had given
assent to the proposed reservations.
Independent AacAion Possible.
Meantime, however, at a meeting
of the foreign relations committee,
Senator Hitchcock gave notice that
unless the committee completed with
out undue delay its consideration OF
the treaty some independent action
might be expected on the floor of the
senate. In the suggestion for speedy
action Chairman Lodge concurred and
the upshot of a heated discussion was
an announcement that the committee
would begin tomorrow the considera-
ton of proposed amendments.
Although Senator Hitchcock said
no definite plan for independent sem
ate action had been formulated, it
is known that the possibility of TAX
ing the treaty away from the commit
tee and bringing it to a vote has been
discussed informally in many con-
ferences among senators. Both the
democrats and the reservation repub-
licans have been insistent that pub
lie sentiment demands disposition OF
the treaty without delay.
Beginning of tho End.
Among many senators the days de-
Nelopments were interpreted as
making the beginning of the end of
the long treaty fight. This predic-
ton was by no means unanimous,
however. Some republican members
of the committee believe they should
have more information before they
act, and two of them, Senator's john
son, of California, and Borah, Of
Idaho, wrote letter to Chairman
Lodge today asking that General
Bliss, Colonel House and others con-
nected with the Versailles negotia-
tions be asked to appear before the
The general expectation was, how
ever that the committee would not
change its plan to proceed to de-
cislon on the treaty and that outside
the committee events might shape
up even more rapidly. After they
heard from the democrats today the
republicans began a poll
to ascertain just how many of their
party they could count on In their
An early adjournment
of the senate interrupted the move,
but within q day or two they expect
to have a more definitee idea of their
strength.
1t was asserted there had been
several additions to the group, but
no senator has publicly announced
his adherence to the plan since it
was agreed on by the original seven
senator's, McCumber, North Dakota;
McNary, Oregon; kellogg, Minnesota;
Colt, Rhode Island: Cummins, Iowa;
Lenroot, Wisconsin, and Spencer,
Missouri.
The exact basis for their hope that
Senator Lodge will join in the move
ment was not revealed by the reser-
vation leaders.
The situation in the committee
may be brought to a head by the let
ter of Senators Johnson and Borah, |
asking that further witnesses be
called. The question probably win |
come up tomorrow. Senators Fail, |
iepublican, New Mexico and Moses. |
New Hampshire, also are
understood to have suggested the |
calling Of more witnesses at todays
meeting. Senator Fall also is said