The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-07-26
TAFT SUGGESTS
C0MPR ROMISE,
Loop Hole for Republican sena
tors to Escape From Fight
On Treaty
PROPOSITION MADE TO
CHAIRMAN HAYS

sEnUEttSIllON MADE III
CHAIRMAN HAYS
Some of the Republicans Consid-
ering the Suggestion Favor
ably
Washington, July % (By. the Asso-
ciated Press9.-A. plan for "interpre-
tations in senate acceptance of the
league of nations has been suggested
s BY Former President Taft in the hope
Of uniting on a middle ground enough
Democratic and Republican senators
to defeat any radical amendment Of
the covenant and in the end obtain
Slts ratification.
The suggestion has been received
with earnest consideration by the
group of Republicans who favor the
hague idea and who are already az
work on definite program of inter
pretative reservations which they de-
clare they have reason to believe will
be accepted by the administration. The
administration leaders, however. un-
willing to concede that any reserva-
tons will be necessary, still insist
they will have the votes when. the
time comes to ratify the covenant as
! it
So confident are the league Reprbi-
cans of the success of their plan that
some of them believe President Will
son will publicly accept it to snaooth
the way to acceptance of the league.
Some Republican senators who have
seen the president in the last few
days have come away from the White
3 House with the impression that Mr.
WiIson, while not encouraging res
ervaticns if they can be avoided,
might not be adverse to such inter-
pFetations as would leave the league
fabric unimpaired. They say, how
ever, that this impression is not: bas-
! ed on any direct statement by the
) President.
Mr.. Taft's suggestion which created
asensation in the senate because Of
Z his well known advocacy of unreserv-
ed ratification was embodied in two
letters to VIII H. Hays, the Republi-
can national chairman, copies of
which reached some Republican SEN
sators today. They touched upon
many features Of the treaty contro-
1yersy and emphasized the former
presidents belief that only by -ac-
ceptance of some reservations could
the treaty be ratified.
sE,;ss Six specific Interpretation propos-
ais are outlined which Mr.. Taft says
he is convinced will meet the objec-
ton Of a large group of Republicans
who favor a league. He counts 45
Democratic senator's as supporting the
president in the treaty fight and says
that should three Republicans be COM
nitted to vote against material
amendment, no such proposals could
receive senate majority.
The former president suggested to
Mr.. Hays that his name be withheld
for the present from connection with
the Interpretation plan since it might
antagoniZe come senators Of his party
Chairman Lodge of the foreign rela-
tons committee who Is named in that
connection, declined today to make
any comment on the Taft letter.
Mr.. Taft also has written some OF
the Republican senators who under
the leadership of Senator'S McCun1-
Der, North Dakota and McNary, Ore
gon have been interested in formulat-
ing middle course for solution OF
the senate situation. It is understood
that Senator's Kellogg, Minnesota
Colt, Rhode Island and Spencer, Mis-
souri,, also have been consulted in the
interest of such plan.
In one of his letters to Mr.. Hays
Mr.. Taft severely criticised President
Wilson for his partisan" course dur
ing the war and in the peace negotia-
tions and in the other gave the inn
preston that no serious @. position is
to be feared to any portion of the
peace treaty except the league cove
nant. The Shantung provision he
wrote, had been the subject of 'delib-
crate exaggeration.' While the let
ters were being circulated among
Republican senators today the first
public expression on the Saantune
settlement came from the White
House in the form Of q statement de-
claring altogether false" published
reports that the president had for
mulated the provision. The statement
continued that Mr.. Wilson had "eX-
erted all the influence he was at lib
erty to exercise in the circumstances
to secure modification of the arrange
nept giving control of the peninsula
to Japan.
The presidents statement was ac-
cepted as precluding any likelihood
that Mr.. Wilson would defend the
Shantung provision except on the
ground of expediency.
The two letters to Mr.. Hays. copies
of which were received here today. do
not outline definitely the six interpre-
sations suggested by Mr.. Taft but
they are referred to as having been
contained in a previous unpublished
e,<;y 1n{; ,~o