New-York tribune., 1919-12-24
Declares His Proposals
Will Win Virtually as
They Stand; Hitchcock
Sure of a Compromise
~Mild' Faction Is
Nebraskan's Hope
Think $ interpretations
Will Be Toned Down;
Lenroot Insists, How
ever, Men Stand Firm
Netr York Tribune
" dshtnCtOn Bureau

Netr York Tribune
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Dec. ga COM
promise of the peace treaty will be
worked out "within a very short
time through acceptance of the
Lodge reservations substantially
without modification, Senator Lodge
majority leader of the Senate and
chairman Of the Foreign Relations
Committee, predicted to-day.
Senator Lodge said that Demo-
cratic opposition to the Lodge reser-
yations was Cracking fast" All the
Republican Senators, including the
group of mild reservationists." he
said, would continue to stand to-
gether and demand that the Demo-
Gratis accept the Lodge reservations
without material modification.
Senator Hitchcock, of Nebraska,
Administration leader in the Senate
treaty fight, said that he also looks
for compromise agreement soon
that will assure ratification of the
German treaty some time in Janu
ary.
Hitchcock Sees Compromise
The Administration leader, how
ever, insisted that the mild reserva-
tlonlsts" with whom he has been
negotiating are formulating :. COM
promise proposal Of their own which
they will submit to the Democrats.
The mild reservationists' propo-
sal, according to Senator Hitchcock,
VIII contain material changes in the
Lodge reservations.
There will be a lull in the compro-
mise negotiations until after Christ
mas. Senator Hitchcock did not talk
with any Republicans to-day, and he
said that he probably would do nothing
more until the end of the week.
Senator Lenroot, of Wisconsin,
spokesman for the mild reservations
ists, discussed the Senate situation at
length with Senator Lodge to-day.
Breaks in the ranks of the Democratic
Senator's on the question of reserva-
tons were the chief topic of CONVEX
satlon, the two Senators said. Senator
Lenroot assured Senator Lodge that he
would support any move made by the
Republican leader in the matter of a
compromise.
Expects Quick Compromise
Il expect to see a compromise in a
very short time" said Senator Lodge.
~ VIII be the acceptance of the So
called Lodge reservations by the Dem
ocrats substantially as they are.
lhe Democrats are cracking fast in
their opposition to reservations, and
the cracks are running in all directions.
lhey are not confined to any one sec
ton of the Democratic side"
The Democratic Senators, Senator
Lodge explained, are not desirouS of
carrying the issue of reservations to
the treaty into the Presidential election
next year. They have been unable to
agree upon any proposition for a com
promise to submit to the Republicans,
because they do not know whether the
reservations they might agree upon
would be acceptable to President Will
son, Mr.. Lodge said, and, as conse-
quence, the Senator explained, he ex-
poets them to accept the Lodge reserva-
tions they rejected on November 19.
THE Democrats are not offering any
compromise" Senator Lodge continued.
They have not offered any specific
proposition since talk of a compromise
tegan. They are rapidly coming to
the position where they will accept the
reservations they rejected. And there
Will be no change made in them They
Will accept the reservations substan-
TALLY as they are or there will be no
compromise"
Hitchcock Also Confident
Senator Hitchcock said that the nepo-
tlatlons he is conducting with the mild
est advocates of reservations on the Re
publican side will result in middle
ground agreement on reservations.
ihe Democrats and the mild reserva-
tlonists," said Senator Hitchcock. will
meet half way and a compromise will
be reached between the reservations
offered by himself and the Lodge reser
vations
The proposal for compromise.
"hen 1t does come, according to Sen
ator Hitchcock, will be made by the
mild resevationists," and will be
offered as their own proposition.
ONner democratic Senators said that
there were seven Republican Senators
VINO have told Senator Hitchcock they
were willing to meet him halfway
and make concessions on reservations.
The list named included Senator'S
McCumber, McNary, Kellogg, Hale,
Colt and Nelson. Senator Lenroot,
who was spokesman for the "mild
reservatonists" during the treaty
night in the Senate last session. it was
SAID, is not included. He told Sena-
tor Lodge to-day that he would not
ofer any proposition to the Demo-
Gratis.
Senator Lodges statement that he
expects the Cracking" Democratic
forces to accept the reservations that
%ere attached to the Foreign Relations
Committee's resolution of ratification
mat was defeated by the Democrats
upon orders from the White House on
November 19. was the result of his long