The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-25
SPECULATION AS TO| HOW FAR PRESIDENT
 WILL G0 WITH FIGHT.
Republicans Claim the Sen ate Will Amend Outright the Shantung Provision
 of the Treaty

Washington, August 24-How far
 fight for unqualified Senate ac-
 ceptance of the peace treaty is .
 subject of increasing speculation
 in official and diplomatic circles.
 With the group of reservation
 republicans apparently determined
 to write their qualifications of the
 league of nations covenant into the
 ratification itself, and with repub-
 Hcan leaders predicting that the
 Senate will amend outright the
 Shantung provision and perhaps
 other sections of the treaty. m in-
 teresting set of possibilities pre-
 sent themselves.
 There has been no authoritative ex- pression of the Presidents probable course should the treaty be returned to him with textual amendments or res ervations written into the ratification. He told the foreign relations commit tee Tuesday, however. that he would consider either method of qualification as tantamount to reopening the nego- tiations with Germany.
 Should such amendments or reserva- tions be inserted, therefore-an event uality which democratic Senate lead CTS deny is likely, but which the re- publicans say is certain-the next move would be up to the President. What he would do is question on which those who have talked with him dis agree; but discussion of what he would be authorized to do under the Ia nd raVQalad genera agreement that several courses would be open.
 SUMMED UP
 Summed up, these discussions con template that he might take up the question of changes in the treaty by diplomatic correspondence; return to Paris and ask that the peace confer ence be reassembled for negotiation of a new treaty; send a new delegation to reopen negotiations. or pocket the treaty and refuse. to proceed further unless the Senate receded from it's po- sition. It is known that the alternative of an exchange of diplomatic notes with the principal powers has been suggested tc the President as the most feasible by re- publican senators, who have told him that the treaty. never would be ratified as it stands. The assent of the smaller nations, these senators asserted. would be obtained easily once the other mem- bers of the five principal powers have acquiesced. It is pointed out that the queston of a reservation to the Colom- bian treaty is now under negotiation by that method.
 The possibility of Mir. Wilson's return to Paris to straighten out the points raised by any senate qualifications is one which some senators say would be entirely in line with his course thus fal in the peace settlement.
 To send an entirely new set of peace delegates also would be admittedly with in the Presidents power and in that connection republican senators frequent 1 ly have mentioned Senator Hitchcock statement that the President laughing. ly suggested Senators Lodge and KuoS as possible selections to negotiate a new treaty should the present one bs amended.
 | That the President might permit tho negotiations to stand in a deadlock by declining to take up with other govern, 1 ments any changes suggested by the Senate involves perhaps the most inter. esting possibilities of all
 CLAIMS OF LEADERS | Administration leaders repeatedly have declared that the President alone was charged with the negotiation of treaties and that the whole history of treaty making showed he could halt any such negotiation at any step he desired prior | to the exchange of notifications. The iSenate, these leaders have asserted. would | be absolutely powerless to interfere. iti Iauthority under the constitution being I limited to giving advice and consent tt tho acts of the executive. In that con-