The Washington herald., 1919-06-13
SENATE COMMITTEE
VOTES TO SEPARATE
TREATY AND LEAGUE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

in some quarters as q victory for
the Democrats. inasmuch as II had
been forecast that any effort to
expedite action, on II would be
vigorously opposed by the league
advocates. This belief was quickly
shattered, however, when IL became
known that Senator Knox and
others had no intention of asking
for immediate action on the reso-
luton and had made their plans
beforehand to have IL brought up
Tuesday.
Several of the Republican Senators
are planning TO spend the weekend
out of the city. il was explained,
including Senator Lodge. who left
last night for Boston to deliver the
commencement address at Harvard.
Senator Knox has no intention OF
calling up the resolution until all
the Republican Senators are present
The first move toward obtaining
action on the resolution will be
motion by Senator Knox to take the
resolution from the calendar and
make it the business before the Sem
ate. Republicans say they will have
no difficulty in getting a majority for
this motion. But the motion is de-
batable and undoubtedly will pro-
woke long discussion
No Way to End Debate.
Senate Rules for ending the debate
except by invoking the ''cloture
rule" which requires a two-thirds
vote OF the Senate. II would be
manifestly impossible to get two
thirds of the Senators to support such
motion. in view OF the present
slender majority OF the anti-league
Senators
Senator Knox declared yesterday
that whether his resolution is ever
passed or not he believes the object
of II will be accomplished as soon as
there is a test vote which will show
the sentiment of the Senate. lie
pointed out that IL more than one
third of the senators voted for clo-
ture IL would show that a number OF
senators sufficient TO defeat ratifica-
ton of the treaty was opposed to
coupling up the league of nations
with the treaty. A vote on the reso-
would have the same effect, the sena-
tor said.
ANY kind of vote on the resolution
will put the Senate on record" Sena-
tor Knox said, and will show to the
Peace Conference just what the Sem
ate is willing to accept. If one sena-
tor more than one-third votes for clo-
ture. the responsibility for delaying
ratification of the treaty would be
placed on the others"
Present Form Unacceptable.
Senator Knox pointed out that his
resolution is not intended to sep
arate the league from the treaty,
but that its purpose is two-fold:
First. to inform the Peace Confer
ence before its labors are completed
that in the sense of the Senate there
should be a provision in the treaty
which would permit any people to
Join the league OF nations at any
time subsequent to the declarations
of peace; second, to notify the Peace
Conference that the peace treaty.
with the league of nations covenant
interviewer in IL in its present FORM
would not be acceptable to the SEN
ate.
In the event that the Peace Con-
ference should see At to ignore or
reject the suggestion embodied in
the resolution, then the next move
would be to have the league coven-
ant taken out of the treaty by the
Senate itself or to pass a resolution
ratifying all portions of the treaty
with the exception of references to
the league, or to pass a joint reso-
luton through both houses of Con-
| gress declaring the war at an ends
Senator Knox had this to say in
discussing his resolution:
Would Put Senate on Record.
Whether the resolution passes or
not, it will put the Senate on record
in the matter of the league of ma
tions. 1 can hardly believe in view
of the growing sentiment in the
country against the league that
there will be enough Senators to
defeat its passage.
But / never should have been
satisfied to see this thing rammed
down our throats without proper
consideration by the senate and by
the people of the United States.
Never shall I. regret having done
this, whether the resolution wins or
loses"
Senator Sterling made another
move toward separating the league
from the treaty by Introduce a
resolution providing that in the
opinion of the Senate the United
States should reserve to itself the
right to express through Congress
whether or not it should join the
league. The resolution is INTENDED
- a. - Na MT fNanr1