Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-11-27

! Washington, Nov. 20.--Avenues of
speculation leading many ways were
opened up to-day when officials and
diplomats turned over in their minds
the possible results at home and abroad
that are to follow termination of the
special session of Congress last night
without Senate ratification of the
peace treaty.
The thoughts of the treaty's friends
in the Senate conferred on accomplish
ing some compromise for ratifica-
ton in the session beginning Decem-
Der /, and to that end steps are un-
derstood to have been taken to ask
that President Wilson ascertain from
the other powers what reservations
they would accept
At the White House silence was
maintained and callers got the impress
sion that for the present the admins
tration was willing to await quietly
the outcome of compromise efforts
among senators. 1t was not revealed
whether the President would permit
that policy to stand in the way of un-
dertaking the diplomatic exchanges
suggested.
! Everywhere the Senate's action was
accepted as meaning at least long de-
lay In ratification. and officials thought
the formal establishment of state of
peace between Germany and the powers
that have ratified would proceed now
without waiting further for the decision
of the United States. The chief result.
II was agreed, would be commercial and
! financial.
PROLONGS PROHIBITION.
! Chief among the matters of domestic
concern affected by the Senate's delay
is wartime prohibition. which took new
lease on life with the postponement of
legal status of peace In the same
class Is various other war legislation
and although the republican leaders in
! Congress will seek to end the war for
mally by a resolution constitutional OBJ
jections to that method are likely. in the
opinion of some officials, to tie up the
effort for some time in the courts.
Another line on which speculation turn
cd was the possible effect of the Senate
showdown on domestic politics. Although
both parties have disclaimcd any desire
to put the treaty into politics, the chances
of keeping it out of 1920 calculations were
admitted on all sides to have been reduc-
ed by the bitter clashes in debate last
night when republicans and democratic
senators hurled across the Senate cham
try on the issue. .
The stubborn struggle which featured
the final hours of the special Senate ses-
sion was generally declared to have made
harder the compromise for which the
democratic leaders to-day ernestly set
to work. They were optimistic. however
that in the opening days of the new ses-
sion, II not before. they could reach some
agreement with the republican group of
mild reservationists who held out in yes
terday's debate against all efforts to di-
vorce them from the republican organ
ization.
HITCHCOCK SEES PRESIDENT.
Democratic Leader Hitchcock and SEN
ator Underwood. democrat. Alabama,
who took n conspicuous part In the ad-
ministration's fight for ratification. call
ed at the White House to-day and al
though they did not see President Will
son are understood to have left for him
their estimates of the possibilities of a
compromise.
Afterward Senator Hitchcock issued a
statement pointing out that so senators In
all voted yesterday for ratification in
some form and expressing a belief that
the 81 necessary to ratify would get to-
gether ultimately.
II realize" he said, that it will re-
qure very genuine efforts at compro-
mise to bring this about and that con-
cesson on both sides must be real and
not merely nominal"
COMPROMISE RESERVATIONS.
Tonight the democratic leader had
drawn up a new sent of compromise re-
servations, which he did not make pub
lie. but which are understood to propose
principally modification of the pre-
amhle requirement in the foreign rela-
tons committee draft which would re-
quire the other powers to accept affirm
atively all the Senate's qualifications.
Everything indicated that the admins
tration had no intention of letting the
treaty fight lapse even during the in
terval before December l and that there
was no thought of abandoning the treaty
and negotiating a new one. The genera