Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-19
AND
ADOPTPACT,U
GEORGIA SENATOR
The Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
623 Riggs Building.
BY TTEODORE TILLER

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WASHINGTON, Dec. Ex-senator
Hoke Smith addressed the senate
late Wednesday afternoon advocating
early action on the peace treaty and
urging that senators who wish to
ratify the treaty with mild reserva-
lions get together In conference and
decide upon some program.
The Georgia senator interrupted
the debate on the Cummins railroad
bill to insist upon attention to the
peace treaty. The senate is holding
night sessions on the railroad meas
ure, but the treaty might take. prece-
dence if its friends could get to-
gether. .
In his speech Senator Smith said:
81 wish to call the attention of the
senate briefly to the peace treaty
with Germany. [ do SO, not for the
purpose of ascertaining who has been
responsible for the delay, but with
the hope that we may agree on reser-
vations and ratify the treaty without
further delay.
There has been no lack of recog-
milton by the senate of the import
ance of closing the peace treaty with
Germany. Had not the covenant of
the League of Nations been attached
to the peace treaty with Germany,
the treaty would have been ratified
months ago.
The majority of the senators are
convinced that reservations should be
made part of the ratification of
the peace treaty, because they are
necessary to make clear doubtful pro-
visions in the covenant, and thereby
avoid future disputes and wars; be-
cause they are necessary to prevent
power which should be exercised by
the congress from being transferred
5000 miles away, to nine men, eight
of whom are foreigners; and because
they are necessary to leave the con-
gree entirely free to perform it's con-
Stitutional duties when an effort is
made to spend the money of our tax
payers and to sacrifice the lives of
our boys in the wars of the world,
Reservations Inevitable
For months it has been. apparent
that the covenant of the League of
Nations would not be approved with
out reservations covering the SUBJ
Jects to which I have referred. A
study of the reservations voted for
by the majority and reservations
voted for or offered by the minority,
shows that more than two-tlirds of
the senator's have expressed them
selves with reasonable certainty in
favor of reservations whicfysWill ac-
complish the objects in vieWs
''Most of these reservations sug-
gested from different sides vary
more in language than in substance.
Senators have We'd with each other
in urging the Importance of ratify-
ing the treaty and in charging OPP
posing sides with responsibility for
the delay. Let us cease trying to
find out who is responsible for the
delay and bring the delay to an
end.
''Party politics should not be play
ed over a question of such import
ance, involving our international re-
lations. I believe that the party
should, and will, be most injured
which seeks most to make this treaty
a party football.
Up to the Senate
1.-THE statement from the White
House that President Wilson has no
compromise or concession of any
kind in mind, only emphasizes the
fact that the treaty is still in the
senate, and that it is for the senate
to agree upon reservations and rati-
fly the treaty. This surely can be
done.
ITO insist that the president should
withdraw the treaty just to send it
back is entirely unreasonable. The
senate already has the treaty and
has authority to perfect a resolution
of ratification. At any time a ma
jority of the senate can take up the
treaty. Certainly, two-thirds of the
senate can do so by suspending any
rule, if there is a rule, in the way of
action"
1.-THE vote in the senate indicates
that much less than third of the
senators are opposed to ratifying the
treaty with proper reservations.
Reservations voted for by more than
tWc-thirds of the senators are so
Similar in substance that conference
alone should be required to make
the language satisfactory to a SUI
ficient number of the senators to
ratify the treaty.
"But we will make no progress
through crimination and recriminA-
ton and through efforts to place the
blame upon this or that side for the
delay. Ratification of the treaty must
be by non-partison action, and every
effort to create partisan advantage
binders ratification of the treaty.
81 do not believe there are more
than sixteen senator who wish the
treaty killed, and I do not believe
there are ten more opposed 20 reser-
vations of any kind. If l. am right
as to the sentiment of senators, rati-
ication with reservations should not
long be delayed.
eff the senators who now wish to
ratify the treaty with reservations
will confer, 1 am confident we cali
agree and act"
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