The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-12-17

+ IBy l.. 4. Martin, united FTeSs otaH
Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.-An un
official committee on conciliation Is
at work. today in the senate IN ar
effort to compromise the treaty con
troversy.
This committee is composed of one
republican and one democrat and Is
seeking to negotiate basis upon
which ratification can be arranged, is
ignoring Senator Lodge. republican
leader, and Senator Hitchcock, demo
,cratic leader.
The first step of the committee now
being taken is to sound out senti
ment among senators on both sides
in an effort to crystalline their views
into compromise proposals to be usee
| in framing set Of reservations
Progress along this line has been
SLOW, but according to one member
of the unofficial committee. has beer
encouraging.
The compromise spirit is stronger
today among democratic senators than
it has been since the treaty failed
November 19, senators declared
Hitchcock, administration leader, said
today that democrats are going to
arrange a compromise II they can
and take a chance" rnat President
Wilson will accept it.
Hitchcock said before progress can
be made toward this compromise
some systematic orderly method must
be devised for going aoour N.
"We cannot settle this question
Ihaphazard," said Hitchcock. Eve
must set up the machinery of com
promise. A Cancellation committee
must therefore be appointed at once.
OF course we will have to take a
chance on President Wilson accept
ing or. rejecting whatever settlement
we succeed in making.
Hitchcock declined TO outline IN
detail his own views concerning the
sort of compromise tnat would be
acceptable to the president or to
democrats generally. 1T would be
unwise to lay down any definite COM
promise program at this time" said
Hitchcock, for the treaty's opponents
would seize upon it and attempt to
compromise it,"
Article ten still is the big stumb.
ling block in the way or the negotia-
tions, Hitchcock said.
Senator Underwood. who has taken
the lead in advocating compromise,
made it plain in his first statement
on the subject since the white house
statement that he is for treaty ratdi-
cation even If it involves leaving the
league of nations covenant out OF the
pact.
Underwood said that althous. a
conciliation committee was Dot ap-
pointed the sentiment OF senat ors
would be carefully sounded on vari-
Gus proposals.
Senator Knox who on Saturday
offered the proposal referred to by
Underwood, said today he would
make one more effort to get it up for
consideration and that If 1t is re-
fused, ask his resolution be referred
TO the foreign relations committee.
cumnnins Railroad Bill.
WASHINGTON Dec. 17.-Hints
that President Wilson may intervene
to prevent holiday recess of con-
gress unless railroad legislation is
disposed of today centered the inter
est Of members more keenly on the
Cummins bill now before the senate.
No official statement could be ex-
pressed regarding persistent report
that Wilson will send congress mes
sage shortly demanding that Christ
mas recess plans be abandoned in the
interest of the railway legislation.
Senator Cummins in charge of the bill
and Senator Underwood, a democrat
member of the interstate commerce
committee which framed it, united
today in declaring that congress
should not go home until some legis'
lation had been enacted.
Both agreed that return of railways
without protective laws would mean
financial disaster, not only to the
(Contiucsd on page %