The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-08-27
TO REPORT SOON
ON THE TREATY
Senate Committee Indicates Dis
position to Quit Talking
and Get to Work
OPPOSITION TO COVE.
NANT is STILL STRONG
OPPOSITION TO COVE
NANT is STILL STRONG
Public Hearings Will Be Discon
tinued and Amendments Con-
sidered by Committee

Washington, Aug. 22.--In a deter
mined effort to report the peace treat
before the end OF ncAt week, the SEN
ate foreign relations committee sud-
denly interrupted its public hearings
today and arranged to so to work to-
morrow on proposed amendments and
reservations
Although one witness will be heard
Monday. members think that might be
the last hearing before the treaty was
reported 1t was indicated that the
waiting list Of others who are to ap-
pear later would not be permitted to
stand in the way of an early report.
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska, the
Democratic leader, declared his belief
that. the report would be laid before
the senate during the coming week
and asserted that he had been assured
the Republicans would cooperate to
that end. Some Republican members
agreed with his prediction, but Chair
man Lodge declined to say when he
thought the committee would act.
Late today plans to expedite the
consideration of amendments were
discussed at conference Of Republi-
can members of the committee and
they will go over the subject again
tomorrow morning before the COM
n1ittee session begins. It is likely that
among the first amendments voted on
will be one proposing to strike out
or modify the articles giving Japan
control in Sha ing province, China
The story Of the negotiations re-
suIting in the Shantung provision was
told to the committee today by Prof.
E: T. Williams, who was technical ad-
wiser to the, American peace deleGa-
Ition. He said he had Strongly OBJ
jected'' to the settlement reached,
and thought the American delegates
should not hare assented to- it.
During the day there was more de-
bate on the treaty in the senate, Sem
ator Thomas, Democrat: of Colorado,
criticising the provision for an inter-
national labor organization and Sena-
tor Fall, Republican, Of New Mexico
taking exception to information given
the committee by President Wilson
regarding the, resumption of trade
with Germany.
Although he refrained from saying
whether he would vote: for the tretay,
Senator Thomas expressed grave
doubt as to the wisdom of the labor
provisions and said there were articles
in the labor section which seemed to
violate the American constitution, by
delegating legislative and judicial
functions to international bodies.
Senator Fall, referring to a state
ment by the president that so far as
trading with Germany, declared there
had been a suspension of the trading
with the enemy act which could be
effective only by presidential author
ity and that merchant vessels were
sailing direct between American and
German ports. The export trade to
Germany in June, he said, amounted
to sS.oOO.O00
No explanation was made Of the
decision to begin work on amend
ments at once in the committee but it
is known to have been reached after
Democratic members had renewed
their requests for early action and
after some of the Republican sena-
tors not on the committee had ex-
pressed strong disapproval Of delay
ing a report to hear the additional
witness summoned yesterday.
On Monday the committee will
hear Joseph w. Folk. who was to
have appeared tomorrow, on behalf
of the Egyptians. The succeeding Gays
up to Friday are to be devoted to
work on amendments in the hope of
agreement on report by Thursday
night. On Fr'',v the Greeks and 9TH
er mid-Eurt i peoples are to be
heard, and on Saturday session Will
be devoted to Irish claims. William
c. Bullitt, another Versailles advise-,
probably will appear during the fc!-
lowing week.
Once in the senate the treaty is ex
pccted to be under debate for some
weeks before final action. and COM
nittee members pointed out that a
supplemental report might be filed
should it be warranted by any hear
ings held after committee action has
been taken Developments today
point with increasing certainty to the
complete collapse Of the effort to pass
a compromise resolution along the
lines of President Wilson's sugges-
ton for reservations apart from the
ratification itself. Republican lead
ers declared presentation of the res
olution only had ;cleared the air so
far as they were concerned had re-
vealed beyond doubt that the group
of Republican reservation advocates
would insist on having the qualiflca-
tons q part Of the ratification
On the Democratic side it was as
serted the move had accomplished its
purpose of showing that the Demo
Gratis and large number of Republi-
cans stood for ratification with res
ervations of the same scrt. differing
only in the methods to be pursued.
and that teXtual amendments of the
treaty was out of the question. The |
Democratic leaders indicated. howev- !
or, they had no intention of bringing