Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-15
DEMAND BY PUBLIC
|SL|KELY TO BREAK
TREATY DEADLOCK
Pressure for Compromise Is
Menacing Leadership of
Both Parties in Senate.
by DAVID LAWRENCE.

b0tn Parties IN Senate.
by DAVID LAWRENCE.
PRESIDENT Wilson himself dictated
the statement issued at the White
House as of the highest authority
10 the effect that he had no move OF
compromise or concession in mind
with reference to the status of the
| treaty of peace.
Senator Lodge, republican leader
has insisted that he would not take
the initiative. Each side blames and
holds the other responsible.
On the surface this may seem like
confirmation of the Years of perma
nent deadlock between the executive
| and legislative branches Of the gov
| eminent But there are other fac
| tors and forces of sufficient influence
and strength to bring about COM
promise.
Three Present Factors.
| In the first place. foreign govern
ments have let it be known that some
Of the reservations will be accepted
In the second place, democrats anu
!republicans who are not themselves
SO closely committed by the posIlio, :
of their respective leaders are Iree ~
90 ahead and map out a compromise
In the third place, the America
nub1ic is enthusiastically impatlent
that something be done to clear up
the confused status of America
! lations with Europe as consequence
| of the war. -o,,l or
ldis.nnroyal of President wilson !,
statement will do any good. II 49,
take the Supreme Court OF tne ohlI
States many months to NIX the eAa "a. =
responsibility for the deiay Ia ero
peace treaty, if the whole case VIZ" az
taken into consideration from .ne
40 PRESIDENT Wilson went abroad
without taking along representatlSe Z
ran,,hlicans. 10 the night when the
democratic side offered the o,.e
IRA nch and resolutions OF comproinlsI,
and the republican ma1or1ty Ieiun
to permit even a vote 10 Dc saiomrn-
| I'd Coneress in a huff; and down "
~ statement issued by the President
ea1,,lv throwing off his own snovi-
sers all responsibility and caretuuy
renosinr the same on the heaos Oh III
opposition.
! Relief Of Europe Paramount.
| Who "a responsible Is OF relatively
| less Importance today than What Ca,
| he done to relieve the SUFFERING VI
| Europe and to avert nnanclai alu
commercial catastrophe on tne one
} side of the ocean wnlcn NV shuttins
| ceiyably have its effect IN snu'',te
! down American factories ana re-
! recruitment of concerns dependent Aof
| their income on foreign trade.
| Rig business and little business are
pushing hard for ratlhcatioh aiiu
Comment since the treaty tight pc
| gan than the big page adyertlsementt
issued by the New York Chamber is OF OF
| Commerce pleading with both sloes
In the controversy to get together anu
| ratify the treaty in some form.
President wilson's move Is tne log
| teal expression Of his conv1ctlon tnat
~ treaty. is still before the Senate
for anproyal or rejection. the sen
| ate leaders in his judgment can re-
| 1,,ve the treaty by a majority vote
| He is too proud to take the Initiative
| in begging the Senate Tor a com
| promise. Senator Lodge Is TOO prouo
| to do the same. ~ 49,, tho
6emocratic and republican, Sides Of the
senate would seem to be IN GAMER
Eor senator Oscar Underwood, leading
dfiexnocrat, wants compromise. Inc So
called mild reservatlonis.s h a.ne Senator
| I.enroot of wisconsin. could erect
compromise.
| Many Want Compromise.
1 Outside
persons in the administration VINO
want a compromise on the peace treaty
nv a compromise they do not mean
amendments that would vitality impair
the league or the peace treaty, Dut
clauses that would clarity ana maks
! explicit the obligations of the United
| States. But nobody inside the admin.
| fstration dares to take the FISK OF
negotiation with the Senate Tor lear OF
| presidential reprimand. So the lnevi-
| table outcome will be a move in the
| senate on the part of the friends OF
the treaty. both republicans and demo-
Gratis, who can arrange compromise
and take the initiative and relieve both
the President and Senator Lodge Of the
| embarrassments resulting from the
positions to which they nave coHHi.-
| ted themselves.
| 1t is a sorry commentary on repre-
| sentative government--with the whole
| country anxious for something to De
done and the party leaders on ootn
sides insisting that some deus ex
/ the situation and save the faces OF all
concerned.
The coal strike offered an analogous
situation. There was a rift in the
cabinet. Meanwhile the country SUI
fered Finally somebody took the in
itiative and brought about a compro-
mise Just now the whole world is
affected by the delay in defining
clearly Americas international rela-
lions and the opportunity to do some
thing constructive is before the great
number of republican and democratic
senators who care more about their
country than they do the pride of
their leaders.
No Political Danger in Split.
A split in the democratic ranks is
predicted on every side. A split in
the republican ranks has been in evil
jdence ever since Senators Borah and
johnson and Knox and their group OF
eight set out to kill the treaty en-
tirely. So as far as party disadvan-
tage is concerned, a breakaway from
the party leaders in an effort to find
| two-thirds who will ratify the treaty
is fraught with no political danger to
either side, but with a great deal Of
|comfort and advantage to an unsteady
| world.
That in substance is the view which
lmany senators are privately express.
ling, and if they could get up enough
lcourage to put their private convic.
lions into public action. the day OF
which is bound to come would be
brought immeasurably nearer until
both Senator Lodge and the President
would be compelled to recede from
their positions and accept the changes
made by their respective colleagues.
| Copyright, 1919