The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-21
DEMOCRATSHOPEFUL
OF TREATY CHANGES
Failure Of Wilson to Get G..
O. P. Converts Gives Joy
to Senate Group.
OvERMAN FIGHTS LEAGUE
Other Southerners Also Want
Pact Acknowledging Es-
pecially Aggressive.
Special DespotoA to The Sun.

Special Dsspatch TO THs SuN.
WASHINGTON, July 2o.-when Presi-
dent Wilson made mis- excursion into the
twilight zone OF the Senate opposition
seeking ready converts to his pleas for
ratification Of tho Peace Treaty and the
League OF Nations covenant without a
change, an alteration or q reservation
and came home again empty handed, he
brought Joy to a sizeable group OF Sen
ate Democrats whose detestation or the
entire League OF Nations scheme Is only
second In sarnestness to their party
fealty.
The President had begun his series Of
"at homes" to the Republicans by pick
ing his visitors apparently from list or
members Of the opposition party framed
In inverse ratio to the strength OF their
opposition.
1t was evident even to the most casual
observer Of political doings in Washing
ton that the President had begun his
series OF interviews with the Republic
cans supposedly with prediction Tor
his own views. Therefore when he tried
and failed with the first seven. stopped
stock still in his attempted proselyism,
and It became evident that the peace
pact and the covenant OF the League
were doomed to certain alterations In
the Senate, sure to be sent back to
Paris for revision, the ''old line" Demo-
Gratis who want to see the alterations
effected, who love not the league any
how, breathed signs Of deep relief
See Hope for Changes.
Now they believe they may witness
the successful Americanization of the
documents. the salvation OF American
sovereignty and the demolition OF the
| ationalist provisions which are, In
the opinion Of the opposition leaders the
fatal flaws in both the treaty and the
covenant.
The Senators to whom the collapse or
the Presidents crusade through the
"foggy bottoms of the Republican zone
| brought the greatest cheer were with
few exceptions from the South Atlantic
States. The group includes Senators
Overman IN. c., Smith (Ga), Bank
head (Ala), Simmons On. c.. Smith
| Is. c.. Shield (Tenn) and Martin
| (Va,). from the South. and Senators
King (Utah) and Myers (Mont) from
the West.
| OF the group not all are equal In the
| earnestness Of their opposition to the
pact and covenant. To some of them 1t
Is all highly distasteful; to others 1t is
only moderately unsatisfactory, and their
I
expresses itself in Indifference. But OF
the list set forth there Is not n single
Democrat who will not feel that the
| sovereignty of the United States Is de-
livered from a potential menace once the
Republicans, with the assistance of the
| openly recalcitrant Democrats Senators
Read (Mo) and Gore tOkla), have
| voted reservations to the document
| which will send them posting back to
| ayta Par los 20 ha
Overman in Opposing Group.
Senator Overman feels bitterly about
| the covenant. The proposed surrender
Of Americas right to individual action
in international affairs has stirred the
rugged Amerieanism OF the Presidents
erstwhie fright bower" the Fidus
Achates who jamHed through a re-
bellious and unwilling Senate the famous
Overman bill giving the Chief Executive
the power to switch, twist, separate and
superimpose one government department
upon another at his own sweet will
simply as war measure. Senator Over
man had made up his mind to vote for
ratification without alteration, but ne
| confronted the prospect of so doing with
exactly that measure OF glee with which
youth Of nine summers consumes a
tablespoonful of castor oil.
|
ator Simmons. Senator Overmans brill
liant colleague. the author OF more rev.
enue bills than any other legislator who
| ever held office, and an Administration
| standby
Senator Hoke Smith has been in and
out Of favor with the Administration
| more often than any other member OF
the upper house-that In, his changes of
attitude have been more numerous.
m ia
on the subject OF ratification. He eX-
presses himself once in a while in cloak
room closters. and his expressions are
by no means flattering to the trainers OF
the documents which now rivet the At
tention OF the world. He would like Ia
see 1t amended in vital particulars. and
II It could be amended without offending
the President unduly Senator Smith
could be counted as one of the reades
amenders, but like the rest OF the South
ern delegation in the Senate he is pre-
pairing now to stand up to the rack with
the rest and take his medicine.
/ VIII Not Vote Reservation.
II might have been different II tn
\ Presidents failure to win the Repuhli
u cans had not been SO signal.
The opinions OF Senators Bankheao
Smith Is. c. and Shields are ad
verse to the Presidents desires. Tina
any one OF the trio will bring himsel
to vote for a reservation against an
article OF the Peace Treaty or the Leagu
\ Covenant is not believed possible. Ger
\ tainly none of them will vote for the frs
v reservation offered In the open Senate.
| But II IL known when the oppositio
makes its first definite show of strengt
and forces the first reservation necessar
n TO send the treaty back to Paris, IN
foodgates will be opened. and the con
scientious followers of the President wi
then feel free to vote their convictions
For this reason II Is TO be assumed tina
v the course of the Senate adoption OF res
ervations will be a progressive one, an
that In the progress there will be
n material increase in the majorties IA
varing reservations as the ratifcatio
proceeds.
| Senator Martin, the floor leader o
the Democrats in preceding Congresses
has not been IN attendance since tn
converting OF the Sixty-sixth Congress
In May. Senator Martin bitterly dis
approved of the Presidents betakin
himself to Europe to participate in tn
4 Peace Conference. He did not durin