The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-08-22
Pittman Proposes Reservations
To Be Kept Apart From
Ratification.
BUT REPUBLICANS OBJECT
McNary Group Insist on Reser-
vatiOns Being Part of Ratifi-
cation Instrument-BOrah Op-
poses Article X,

Washington, Aug. 21.-The first
open move for compromise in the
league OF nations fight came from ad-
mintstration quarters embraced in
proposal that the senate adopt inter-
pretative reservations but that thew
be kept apart from the actual ratifica-
tion of the treaty.
The overture met with no immedi-
ate success on the Republican side of
the chamber, senators of the Republi-
can reservation group declaring they
| could not recede from their position
| that to be effective the reservations
must go into the ratification itself
Senator Pittman, of Nevada. a
Democratic member of the foreign re-
| lations committee, presented a com
promise proposal in the form of a res
olution embodying in effect that fout
reservations agreed upon by seven
Republican senators and declaring
them to constitute the senate's undd-
standing of disputed points in To-
| covenant.
In the Republican draft, however.
| it is expressly provided that the reser-
vations "be made part Of the treaty
| by he instrument of ratification. n
proviso which Senator McNary. of
oregon, and others of the group of
seven Republicans said they consid-
cred absolutely necessary If enough
Republican votes are to be gained
to secure ratification Of the treaty.
To overcome this objection, Sena-
Tor Pistmap proposed in speech in
| the senate that the resolution be
| adopted at once and submitted to the
other powers who will be represented
on the league council. general de-
bate developed during which Senator
Borah, Republican, Idaho, and others
| took exception to President Wilson 8
distinction between moral and legal
| obligations under the covenant as ex-
pressed in yesterdays White House
conference between the President and
the foreign relations committee
Embodics Presidents Views.
Although Senator Pttman said he
had not submitted his resolution for
the presidents approval, he asserted
that 1t carried into effect Mr.. Will
sons views on the subject of reserya-
tions as expressed to the committee
yesterday. He indicated his firm he
lief that the administration would go
no further toward compromise be-
cause it feared that inclusion of the
| reservations into the ratification
would reopen the negotiations with
Germany.
Leaders Of the McNary group. ney
ertheless. insisted that they had in
formation that in the end their plan
would have Democratic support.
An attack on the Shantung pro-
vision of the treaty was made in the
senate by Senator Mccormick, Repub-
lican. Illinois. who asserted that by
accepting the provision the United
States would become party to one of
hypocrisy and violence" in the
worlds history.
Ihe Shantung provision also was
under consideration before the for
eign relations committee, which was
told by DR.. ]. C. Ferguson. adviser TO
the Chinese president, that China re-
garded American acceptance of the
settlement as deviation from the
traditional policy OF American friend
ship TO the Chinese government and
people.
In his argument that reservations
should not be Incorporated in the rat
ihcation itself. Senator Pittman de-
clared Germany was awaiting an on
portunity to attach "hundreds of res
ervations" and that to reopen the
subject would submit the United
States to a needless risk. His resc-
luton went over without action.
Borah Again Objects.
Questions by Senator Borah turned
the debate to discussion of the
moral and legal obligations assumed
under article X OF the covenant nv
which the members agree to preserve
one another's territorial integrity
against external aggression. The ar