Omaha daily bee., 1919-11-04
Senate Leaders Attempt in
Vain to Fix Definite Date
For Roll Call on Resolution
Ratifying Measure.
HITCHCOCK AND LODGE
WAGE BLOCKADE FIGHT
Republican Leader Declares
Treaty will Be in "Grave
Danger" if Its Friends Carry
Out Administration Program.

Washington, Nov. 3.-Further in
dications that the peace treaty fight
may lead to a continuing deadlock
developed today while the senate
ieaders were trying in vain to fix
a definite date for a roll call or
ratification.
Administration senators, suggest
ing that the final vote be taken this
week. indicated a purpose to defeat
ratification by combining with the
treaty's irreconcilable opponents
should the reservations adopted by
the foreign relations committee be
written into the ratification reso1u.
ton. Whether the administration
forces then could present an alter
nate resolution under senate rules
was brought into question by the
republican leaders. who predicted
that even if such a resolution got
consideration, 1t, too. would be
voted down.
An hour of debate on the subject
got nowhere, and the senate went
back to consideration of treaty
amendments. 1t may reach a vote
tomorrow on that by Senator La
Follette, republican, Wisconsin, 70
strike out the labor provisions and
then. unless some new plan is de-
vised to hasten action, other amend
ments and long list of proposed
reservations will be taken up under
the tedious rule of unlimited debate
Hitchcock's Proposal.
The administration proposal for a
vote this week was presented by
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska, the
democratic leader, after he had
blocked jone by Republican Leader
Lodge, calling for a final vote on
November Is. A final vote on
that date" declared Mr.. Hitchcock
would mean that the only ,ppor-
tunity for showdown on ratifica-
ton must come on a resolution
drawn up by the treaty's enemies
and containing reseryations> unac-
ccptable to the administration SEN
ators." y
Mr.. Lodge in turn blocked the
administration program, which
would have provided for a vote
Thursday on the committee resolu-
ton with its reservations and would
have left Friday and Saturday for
consideration of any compromise
resolutions agreed on by the demo-
Gratis and the mild reservation
republicans. To open the way for
such move after ratification
vote had been taken would mean
upsetting senate rules entirely. Mr.
Lodge declared, adding that if the
treaty's friends voted against ratifi-
cation with the committee reserva-
tons they would place the treaty
in grave danger"
No Precedent to Follow
Although Senator Hitchcock did
not definitely announce an intention
to help vote down the committee
resolution he argued that such a
course, followed by presentation OF
compromise measure, would be
logical and fair. Supporting this
stand, Senator Pittman, Nevada
another democratic member of the
committee. said he never would vote
for the treaty if the committee
reservations went in.
Senate parliamentarians said there
was no precedent to throw light or
the question of whether defeat oi
the committee resolution would be
final rejection of the treaty OF
would leave the way open for of,
fering other ratification proposals
Late in the day Senators Lodge and
Hitchcock conferred with Vice
President Marshall on the subject
and it was said parliamentary bat
tie undoubtedly would develop
when the ratification stage is
rna ached