Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-11-18
Lodge Forces in Return
Prepare to Block Rati-
fication if Reservations
Are Defeated.
President Backs Plan
to Deadlock Senate, in
Order to Obtain a Com
promise.

Washington, Nov. 17.-Qn
the eve of a final vote on the
peace treaty, President Wilson
gave the senate to understand
today that unless it modified the
reservations already adopted, he
would take the treaty back to
the White House and lock it up
in his desk.
''The president has read and
considered the Lodge reserva-
tions," Senator Hitchcock said,
"and he considers them a nulli-
fication of the treaty and utter
ly impossible.
The first effect of the warn
ing was to stiffen the lines of
both sides of the senate fight.
Then compromise proposals of
many kinds were thrown out by
the democrats in a final effort
to break into the majority pro-
gram. They found the treaty's
republican friends, all of whom
had voted for the reservations,
disposed to listen but not prom
ise, and tonight the life of the
treaty seemed to hang upon
slender thread.
A decision one way or the 9TH
er is planned for Wednesday.
Senate Clears for Final Action.
The senate will remain in session un-
til it has cleared away all proposed res
ervations, leaving nothing to do but act
upon the ratification resolution itself
Four reservations. two of them pro-
posed by the foreign relations committee
We're voted down, today. and none was
adopted, The presidents determination
was made known at a White House con-
ference with Democratic Leader Hitch
cock. who declared afterwards that Mr..
Wilson never would have an opportunity
to pocket the treaty. because his sup
porters IN the senate would vote down
any ratification resolution that contained
the unacceptable reservations.
The senate leader expressed his be
lief that enee such a resolution is de-
feated, there will be a compromise that
viii keep the treaty alive.
Hitch on Compromis.
The program outlined by Senator
Hitchcock after he had seen President
Wilson last week viii be carried through
in the senate, Mr.. Hitchcock said. Thi,
defeat of the ratification
resolution. with the Lodge reservations
attached. and the offering of resolu-
ton for ratification without reserva-
ions. With the defeat Of this resolu
ion deadlock would follow and con-
promise be sought.
Hope of such a development had a
setback later in the day. however when
a number of the mild reservation repub-
lieans agreed to vote with Republican
Leader Lodge against consideration of
any alternative resolution of ratifica-
ton Of the first once has been rejected
May Not Back Marshall.
Vice President Marshall has Indicated
be will rule an alternative proposal in
order. and the democrats have counted
IN help from the mild reservationists
% sustain that ruling.
Todays effort TO effect COMPROMISE
we're conducted in round about way.
Senator Hitchcock declaring he would
reserve his direct offer until the mild
had been released from
heir pledges to the majority by defeat
II the majority resolution of ratifica-
ion. He had intended to bring all the
.reaty's friends on both sides of the
,hamber into conference. today, but he
.ound the republicans unwilling to ne
yotlate until they had completed the
program to which they had agreed
1t was the preamble to the reserva-
ion group. requiring that the senate
Continued on Page Two,