New-York tribune., 1919-11-29
MIR. Wilson to Confer With
Senator Hitchcock and
Decide Whether He Will
Accept the Reservations
Willing to Compromise
Mild Reservationists'' Are
Ready to Change Lodge
Preamble but Slightly
Ner York Tribune
WASHINGTON Bureau


WASHINGTON, Nov. 2s.-President
wilson and Senator Hitchcock, Ad-
mlnlstration leader in the Senate, to-
morrow at the White House, will dis
cuss plans for re-opening the fight for
the ratlflcatlon of the peace treaty with
Germany. At the conference the
PRESIDENT will so over the Lodge res
ervations carefully with Senator Hitch
cock, and will ldecide whether he will
accept the reservations with the few
notifications the Republicans in the
Senate have signifed their willingness
to make, in order to have the treaty
ratified early at the regular session of
Congress, which begins Monday.
Leaders of all Republican factions
in the treaty fight have declared the
Administration must accept the Lodge
reservations substantially as they now
stand. Senator Hitchcock, as Admin
lstratlon spokesman. has announcedthat
PRESIDENT Wilson must make conces-
sions and accept some kind of reserva-
tions, and has indicated that the Ad-
mlnlstration would go a long way to
meet the Republicans who want the
treaty with reservations, in order to
unite with them on compromise that
would secure ratification.
Lodge Insists on Reservations
The fate of the treaty NAV depend
upon the outcome of to-morrow's con-
terence. Should the Presiden decide
TO refuse to accept the Lodge pro-
gram OF reservations the treaty un-
doubtedIy would remain dead.
Senator Lodge, Republican leader in
the Senate, has served notice upon the
Democrats that the treaty will not be
ratified unless his program of reserva-
tens Is adopted, and in this he has
the support OF the group of mild res
erVatlonlsts among the Republicans
The Administration must unite with the
mild reservationists" before they can
secure the ratification of the treaty.
but Senators Lenroot. of Wisconsin;
McCumber, OF North Dakota. and Nc
Nary, OF Oregon, spokesmen for the
group, have notified Senator Hitchcock
that the only concession they will grant
VIII be a modification Of the so-called
preamble to the Lodge resolution of
ratification. They are willing to strike
out the provision OF the preamble re-
curing written acceptance of the res
ervations by three of the following
great powers: Great Britain, France,
Italy and Japan. A compromise on
that basis was offered to the Demo
Gratis before the Vote was taken last
w edneSday. but 1t was rejected.
The President at his conference with
Senator Hitchcock Will face the fact
that his only hope of compromise with
the Republicans who want the treaty
ratified, but with reservations, must be
upon the basis Of the Lodge reserva-
tions.
"Interpretative" Reservations Opposed
1t is regarded as possible that Mr.
Wilson will suggest that "interpreta-
tive reservations sponsored by Sena-
tor Hitchcock be accepted as a substi-
etute for the Lodge program, hut should
such q suggestion be forthcoming from
the White House the Republicans, if
they maintain their stand, will not
allow the treaty to come to another
vote in the Senate.
The President is expected to make
whatever proposals he decides upon in
his message to Congress, which will be
sent to the Senate and the House of
Representatives on Tuesday. He will
urge the necessity for the immediate
ratifiiation Of the treaty, but before it
can be acted upon again he must for
maliy withdraw it and then resubmit it
to the Senate.
When the treaty is sent to the Sen
ate again it will be promptly referred
to the Foreign Relations Committee
where the ''irreconcilables," who are
seeking to defeat the treaty entirely
hold the balance of power It will re-
main in the committee until it is with
drawn by action of the Senate, but the
Senate will not take that action, &C
cording to Republican leaders, unless g
compromise is reached and the votes OF
two-thirds of the Senator'S necessary
for ratification are played to a program
OF reservations.
Borah to Open Fight
The "irreconcilables" will open the
treaty fight themselves immediately
after Congress convenes. Led by Sen
ator Borah, of Idaho, they viii demanc
that the treaty be laid aside until do
mestic problems have been settled by
Congress. In the mean time they will
fght for the early adoption of the
Lodge resolution declaring the exist
ence of a status of peace with Ger
many.
Senator Mccormick, Of Illinois, one
of the "irreconcilables in statement
to-day in which he commented on Brit
ish and French leaders assertions that
the United States Senate had "re-
pudiated" Americas agreements, de
clared President Wilson did not hole
mandate from the American people
when he entered into the agreement.
at Versailles.
Roosevelts Explanation Cited
Senator Mccormick said:
at is astonishing to read that some
public men and newspapers IN France
and England talk of Americas repudl
atng her agreements. They cannot
plead ignorance of the facts, although
they may have been unwilling to face
them. At the last election the Amer
lean people very definitely and delib
erately repudiated Mr.. Wilson'S lead
ershp.
Colonel Roosevelt, in a statement
published before he died, and cableC
to Europe, explained that the Repub
lican Senate represented the people
and constituted half the treatymakins
power, while Mr.. Wilson. though the
vehicle of negotiation, could bind no
body but himself. Colonel Roosevelt
Furthermore pointed out that Mr.. vii