Evening star., 1919-12-28
By NEWBOLD MOVES.

- HRISTMAS week. Jim and Jane; the
holiday season of the Christian world.
The days ordained for peace earth
> and good will toward But these
are swiftly moving times, and the
seen hand that is shaping the future Of America
and of the world has regard for the mean
ing of that jolly word-holiday. There is
DAY, nor any hour of any day. when that hand
pauses: when the cycle of events which. while
but the passing news of today will be the his
tory of tomorrow. is checked We have given
and received: we have hung the holly and mystic
mistletoe, and filled the stockings. and trimmed
the tree We have made merry together. seek
ing for the hour to forget the hands of fatus
upon our shoulders, urging forward
whatever may lie ahead. But through it all
there has been the consciousness that there has
been no pause in the march of the events
follow. So today let look back. to marshal
those events in memory.
The Senate. it is true. adjourned on tn.
Goth for vacation of something over two
weeks. Whatever difficulty they may have been
having in the north wing of the Capitol in get
ting together on the variety of matters before
them during the past months. subject
ultimately found in which party anmosities
could expediently be set aside. The motion to
adjournment met with dissenting voice.
Depression incident to the fact that the
thing the Senate found itself able to agree
was 10 quit Tor the nOnce need not, however
be too deep For the opportunity for informal
conferences with view toward compromising
the treaty deadlock welcome to the
leaders of the factions and subfactions of the
upper house, and much headway is believed to
have been made. Born of these conferences
hear today from all concerned that a COM
promise will be reached early in 1920 and the
more optimistic are even prophesying that the
President may be given opportunity to call
off wartime prohibition for a few days prior
to January 16.
OF course, each side in the controversy is
claiming that it is the other which is to crack,
and that the principles for which they have
contended are to triumph. And. of course, each
side knows in it's heart that when the final COM
promise is drafted, each will have had to give
about as much as each gets 1t is refreshing
to hear the gospel of give and take" preached
last. Republicans and democrats, erstwhile
.bitter-enders,' "dont-dot-an-I-ers" and mild
reservationists they have all heard the unde-
niable voice of Jim and Jane and hundred
million odd others They are aware that they
must find way out of what threatened to be-
come impasse. and that quickly And the
weeks activities give strong assurance that the
snarl is nearly untangled.
Prophets in these days exc out a precarious
livelihood at best But prophecy based on an
open minded and dispassionate survey Of events
is known as expert opinion The experts are
actively on the Job in connection with what is
to happen when the Senate reconvenes on the
5th -of January. And the consensus of their
opinion. widely differing on details but similar in
the main as to basic matters Is this:
That the treaty--and the treaty includes the
league-will be ratified within a months time
from the date when the Senate shall formally
undertake its tasks more. That ratifica-
ton will be qualified by reservations nodded
-
Senator Lodge. these to be changed to
move any chance of slight to our allies any
emasculation of the spirit of the treaty pro-
visions as interpreted by the President
From which faction the ultimate compromise
reservations will evolve is matter Of some
doubt For 1t is true. though pitiful. fact
that. accustomed have the various groups be-
come to regarding the problem before them in
the light of old-fashoned politics instead of
broad justice, patronage by any democrat or
by any republican who has too fagrantly at
tackled the minority would doom the most
promising child of compromise to failure
through prenatal influences. There seems to be
good reason for anticipating that the reserva-
tions to be accepted will be sponsored by of
the mild reservationist group. with whom the
democrats will solidly join. together with a suf-
fcient number of wabbling republicans to yield
the necessary two-thirds.
X X X X
The railroads are to be returned to private
ownership March /, 1920 The President, in
drawing up the proclamation to this effect was