Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-27
TREATY FIGHT Up
TO PRES|DENT;;H HE
MAY SPEAK SOON
Executives Move Will Decide
if Senate Conflict Is
to Be Long.
EXPECTED TO HOLD OUT
SOME OF PARIS PAPERS
Letter to Senator Lodge Indicates
I Committee Will Not See All
It Asked.

The next important move in the
Senate disagreement over reservations
to the peace treaty is expected to
come from President Wilson.
Having canvassed the Senate situa
ton in his conferences with fifteen
republican senators, all of whom are
said to have told him they would sup
port certain reservations, it is expect
ed the President soon will make known
definitely his attitude toward such
. eourse. It was indicated at the White
House yesterday that expression of his
views on the subject might not await
his speaking tour. to begin two weeks
hence, but might be embodied in
public statement the next few days.
This aroused great interest among
republican senators, though they said
it was not wholly unexpected. Sew
eral republicans have told Mr.. Wilson
the treaty never could be ratified
without interpretative qualifications,
and Friday, at the suggestion, it is
understood, of Republican Leader
Lodge. tentative draft of reserva-
tions. indicating in a general way the
trend of opinion among many repub-
lican senators, was laid before the
President by Senator Spencer, repub-
1ican. Missouri. The leaders for res
ervations say it is now the Presi-
dents move.
See Hope for Clarifying.
The group of republicans who. I'M
der the lead of Senator McCumber.
North Dakota. and McNary, Oregon,
are working on reservation pro-
gram designed to clarity the league
OF nations covenant without vitality
weakening it, believe the President
will announce his acceptance of such
course and that quick ratification
of the treaty will ensue In their
talks with Mr.. Wilson, they say, he
has indicated no radical antagonism
TO Senate qualifications, his only fear
being that the whole subject might
be thrown back into renegotiation.
The Presidents democratic support
ers in the Senate, however, are not in
accord with this view, and predict
that he will assert himself for unre-
served ratification and then go to the
country in an effort to fortify public
sentiment behind that stand.
Z Replies to Lodge Inquiry.
The President saw no republican
senators yesterday. but in letter to
Mr.. Lodge replied to Inquiries about
the treaty sent to the White House
by the foreign relations committee.
He wrote that SO far as he knew, no
decision had been reached for division
of Germany's indemnity payments I'M
der the treaty's provision that it shall
be allotted among her enemies lin the
proportion which has been determined
by them in advance" The letter also
said Mr.. Wilson was preparing to
send the committee papers it had ask
ed for in connection with the Yer
sailles negotiations.
The Presidents letter to Mr.. Lodge
said:
I'm response to your letter of July
22, requesting me, on behalf of the
committee on foreign relations. to
send to the committee the agreement
referred to in article 237 of the treaty
with Germany, in the event that such
an agreement has been determined
upon by the allied and associated
governments. 1 would say that so far
as I know such an agreement has
hnan AS +
the business, an attempt was be-
ing made to reach such an agree
1nent, but I have not yet learned of
an agreement having been arrived at.
Some Papers Left in France.
May I not add, with regard to the
other request which I have received
from the committee for papers and
information of various sorts, that
was not able to bring from Paris a
complete file of papers? I brought
with me only those which happened
TO be in my hands when 1 left France.
these alone constitute a considerable
mass of papers. and l have been go
5ng over them as rapidly as time and
any enga gements permitted, and must
beg the committees Indulgence for
%1he delay in informing them which 1
can supply them with"
The last sentence of the letter was
interpreted in some quarters as mean
ing that the President would with
hold some of the documents in his
Dossession, though the committee's
resolution was very sweeping in
character, asking for "all data that
concerned the negotiations.
Advisers May Visit Senate.
Chairman Lodge yesterday discuss
ted some features of the treaty with
Secretary Lansing. Mr.. Lodge is
understood to have suggested that
the committee have the benefit Of
expert advice on some sections, par
REGULARLY those dealing with alien
enemy property. 1t is expected that
Bradley Palmer and others who ad-
.yised the American delegation at Yer
! xailles on these matters will appear
sbefore the committee this week.
President Wilson had intended, II
was said at the White House to go &c
1Continued on Second Page.l