The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-03-17
SENATE MAJORITY
IS AGAINST LEAGUE
Eleven Democrats Opposed to
Compact in Present Form
and Forty-one Repub-
lcans.
IT MUST BE AMENDED
Some Expect Changes VIII be Made
Which May Satisfy Those Who
Register Their
Protest.
IBy l.. g. Martin, United Press Stair
Correspondent

Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March IA clear
majority OF the next senate is pledged
~ vote against the league of nations
constitution unless amended, league
opponents declared today.
Eleven democrats, they say, have
either openly or privately declared
! their opposition to the compact In its
present form Forty-one republicans
are definitely on record against the
covenant. Tyiis makes total of fifty
| two, three moro than o majority OF
the senate.
In addition, number Of other dem
oLrats are known to be opposed to
come provisions OF the constitution
hut their object may not be strong
enough to lend them to vote against 1t.
| The republican opposition to the
| present form of the constitution Is
| 1,ade. OF the thirty-nine signers of the
round robin" with Norris and Kenyon
added since adjournment of congress
1 Democrats openly In opposition in
clude Reed, Thomas and King. Those
who have not come out openly are re
! framing from doing SO, they said,
/ because they see the strongest fndfca
tions that amendments viii be made
which may satisfy them.
They feel, one Of them said today
that President Wilson should DE civ,
en- an opportunity to make the constt
tuition conform to American ideas be
! fore they "embarrass him further by
| coming out openly against him"
1 Much interest was manifested here
| today in the effort OF Democratic
/ National Chairman Homer s. Cum
n1ings to put tho republicans through
! VIII Fl. Flaws, their national chair
nan on record as a party.
/ The presen+ week sees the beginning
CT the oppositions invasion of the
middle west. Borah and Reed are
tcheduled fer meetings In st. Louis
and Kansas City and Borah may speak
! in Cleveland.
Fire Added to the Fight.
| [By Robert J. Bender, United Press
Staff Correspondent
I WASHINGTON, March 17.-Appar
ent disagreement between President
Wilson and Foreign Minister Pichon
as to whether the league Of nations
covenant could be embodied in the
/ first peace treaty completed with Ger
many added fire to the league fight to-
1 ,
day.
Administration officials here were
obviously confused at the situation
arising in Paris. 1t had been the view
here that the first or preliminary
treaty" with Germany would be vir.
! tually only an extension Of the armis-
tice, not subject to ratification by the
senate and therefore not necessarily
containing the league covenant
/ United Press dispatches today, how
ever. indicate that the preliminary
treaty will be subject to senate ratt
tication and will cover most of the
peace treaty articles, including these
for reparation and Indemnity and for
arranging boundaries.
| In view of this the president will
certainly carry his fight to a finish
for embodiment of the league in the
| first treaty
Obstacles in the path Of this fight
| involve the calling of a meeting OF
neutrals on March 20-just five days
before the preliminary treaty with
! Germany is now scheduled to be
ready-for neutral views on the
/ league question. Also the increasing
! demands for an early peace in all the
allied countries and the growing ser
iousness Of the situation in Germany
as disclosed by United Press dis
patch from Berlin today indicate there
might be little enthusiasm over ar
attempt by the president ito prolons
completion OF the treaty by insisting
upon injection of the league coven
ant.
4 The presidents predicament led q
"star chamber" discussion in some
quarters of his probable disappoint
ment, If not anger. at his American
reace colleagues allowing the league
! situation to be- maneuvered out o.
their hands.
There was argum ent, however, that
the president would mako every ef
| fort to regain the ground lost durinf
his absence and the opinion here was
that the success of his battle nov
apparently depended upon how firmly
the British ard italian delegates stood
pat on the plenary session resolution