Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-11-27

ueNelDp1DtIiS SlI'IEl III DOSSl-
bility that the whole controversy
might be transferred to the political
arena for decision by the people in
1920.
Senator Lodge. chairman of the for
eisn relations committee. and republic
can leader of the Senate, declared in a
statement there was mo room for
further compromise" and urged that
the reservations of the Senate ma
jority be carried into the campaign.
There was no formal expression to
determine whether n like stand would
he taken ultimately by President Will
son and the administration senators.
hut it developed that the Presidents
Senate supporters had no definite as
suranceS as yet that he would reopen
the subject for compromise by resub-
hitting the treaty when the new ses-
sion of Congress begins December l.
The decara ton of Senator Lodge re-
versed the position he and most other
republican senators had taken toward in
lection of the treaty into politics. and
was accepted in congressional and official
circles as clothed with added signi-
f1cance by Mr.. Lodges conference with
Will H. Hays, the republican national
chairman, just before the unsuccessful
fight Wednesday for ratification with the
majority reservations included. The state
ment follows:
LODGES STATEMENT
ct have no special comment to make.
The case is very simple. After four
months of careful consideration and dis
cussion, the reservations were presented
to the Senate. They were purely Amer-
can in their character, designed solely to
Amerlcanze the treaty and make it safe
for the United States.
Under the Presidents orders the fol-
lowers of the administration in the Senate
voted down those reservations. 1t was
also shown by vote that here was a
decisive majority against the treaty with
the reservations.
"Those reservations presented to
the Senate will stand. There is no
room for further compromise between
Americansm and the super-govern-
ment presented by the league. All
I ask now is that we may have the
opportunity to lay those reservations
before the American people. To that
great and final tribunal alone would
appeal
II wish to carry those reservations
into the campaign. l wish the Amer
lean people to read and study them
They not like the covenant of the
League. They are simple. l do not see
that there is one of them to which any
American can object l want the peo-
pie to see them, understand them and
think of them in every household on
every farm, in every shop and factory
throughout the land. Then let them
decide"
In his letter advising democratic
senator's to vote against ratification
with the majority reservations. Presi-
dent Wilson characterized them as con-
shutting a notification of the treaty
and some of his Senate followers dc
not consider it remote possibility tina,
he may DECIDE to join the issue and let
the majority program stand or fall by
popular decision in the campaign.
Should he take such a stand and, de-
clining to re-submit the treaty, let
matters stand for the present as they
are, it was considered certain on all
sides tonight that the result would be
to put the ratification fight squarely
into the presidential contest.
DEMOCRATS TALK COMPROMISE
There was nothing to establish definitely
that he would do so, however, and the
course of the administration Senate lead
ers during the day seemed to indicate the
opposite. They continued to talk compro.
mise and predicted that the republicans
possible to clear away the whole contro'
versy before the campaign opens.
They were confronted with the fact
however. that the republican group OF
mild reservationists, on whom hope of &
compromise was placed. had served notice
that any further compromise negotiations
must be conducted with the republican
leader himself The closing stages of the
fight which preceded the ratification vote
multiplied evidences Of republican solid
arity behind the reservations, many de
cisions in the parliamentary maneuvrinl
being decided by virtually strict party
votes.
IRRECONCILIBLES PLEASED
Even among the irreconcilible foes o.
the treaty on the republican side tn,
statement of Senator Lodge was accepted
with satisfaction, Some of this grouI
have said openly they would leave tn,
party unless it declared next year fo
outright rejection Of the League of Ma
tons covenant, with or without reserva
tions, but they took the view to-ngh
that the situation was developing will
a satisfactory speed. BY the time tn,
national convention met, they predicted
It would be ready to go further thai
Senator Lodge did in his statement.
The only expression of the President
intentions was w mite Rouse announce
ment early in the day that he woul,
have nothing to say until he sent hi
message to Congress at the beginning O
the new session on December |. At tina
time, it was said he would go into tn
treaty situation. Senator Underwood o
Alabama, prominently mentioned for tn
democratic leadership in the next session
talked over the outlook with Secretar
Tumulty, but did not see the President.
The general belief on both sides to
night seemed to be that any compromis
negotiations will have to wait until tn
session begins. Most of the Senate mem
bership has left Washington and the gen
eral disposition Is to await the Pres
dents message before attempting to z
further with compromise efforts Senate
Hitchcock Of Nebraska, in charge of tn
treaty for the administration, will leav
Tomorrow for Omaha. He said to-nigh
that he was uncertain whether he wOul
see the President before his departure
One compromise plan discussed to-da
was to refer the treaty, If II were re
submitted by the President, to the foreig
relations committee with the under
standing that 1t would remain there unit
some agreement had been reached by pr
l vate negotiation for its ratification
With two-thirds of the Senate lined u
Cor such a program 1t was pointed on
the treaty could be brought out of con
rnitteo rlotura a6Opta6 and the Who'll