New-York tribune., 1919-08-16
Senator Lodge Submits
Five Changes Which
Would Gain Support
of Republican Senators
Wilson Reported
Against Proposals
Hitchcock Sees President;
Preparations Are Made
for Conference Tuesday

WAOHlNGION, Aug. 15.-NegOtla-
tions between Democratic and Repub-
lican Senators looking to ratification
of the peace treaty with reservations
reached a more definite stage to-day,
while President Wilson and the Foreign
Relations Committee were getting to-
gether on measures to give the public
all the details of their discussion of
the treaty next Tuesday at the White
House.
Democratic leaders, feeling out sent-
ment on the Republican side, were told
that the treaty never could be ratified
without qualification, but that more
than twenty Republicans wanted to see
1t accepted in the near future with
reservations along the line of those
agreed on by seven Senators of that
party some days ago.
General Provisions Acceptable
This information came from members
Of the group of seven after completion
OF q poll begun Wednesday on receipt
OF the first Democratic overtures. The
twenty needed by the Democrats to
make the necessary ratification major
proposed reservation programme IN en-
act form, il was asserted. but had given
their assent to its general provisions.
Afterward Senator Hitchcock. the
Democratic leader, went to the White
House and is understood to have laid
the whole Senate situation before the
President. He made no formal an
nouncement after the conference, hut
indicated that the Administration stand
for unreserved ratification remained
unchanged. Some Of the seven reserva-
tion Republicans, however, insist that
they have had information assuring
Democratic assent to their programme
Five Points Covered
A new draft of reservations was
shown to several Republicans during
the day by Senator Lodge, the Repub-
lican leader. 1t is understood to cover
the four points embraced in the pro
gramme agreed on by the seven Sena-
tors and to include also provision
that appointment of the American rep
| resentatvc on the league council must
!, have Senate approval. The other foul
provisions relate to the Monroe Doc.
.trine. Withdrawal from membership
jurisdiction over purely domestc ques-
tlons, and the right Of Congress tc
declare war under Article X Of the
league covenant.
Plans for the White House confer
cnce Tuesday were virtually completed
during the day, with an agreement that
both White House and committee
stenographers should be present anc
that transcript of the discussions
should be issued to the press. Chair
man Lodge also gave his assent to the
presence of newspaper correspondents
at the meeting, but said that was 8
question for the President to decide
To Have Two Stenographers
The proposal that stenographers be
present came from the President in
reply to a request that the committee
members should not be restrained to
secrecy about the discussions. Mr.
Wilson said he would provide stenog-
rapher and suggested that the com
mitee also bring one. Chairman Lodge
said it would be done.
Although it began discussion of pro
posed amendments to the treaty TO-
day, the committee decided to vote on
none of them until it had talked with
the President. There will be no meet
ing tomorrow, and most of next week
probably will be devoted to hearing
the five additional witnesses summoned
yesterday.
The question of how soon the COM
mittee would report to the Senate was
one of the subjects most earnestly dis
cussed in the many conferences held
among Senators during the day. Demo
cratic leaders said they believed twenty
Republicans would exert their influence
for motion to take the treaty out of
the committees hands.
After his White House conference
Senator Hitchcock said the committee
might report within ten days or two
weeks. He made it clear that getting
the treaty into the Senate as soon as
practicable was the present concern OF
the Administration.
Lodge for Early Action
Chairman Lodge is understood to be
in sympathy with the move for early
action by the committee, and it is
thought examination of witnesses next
week may be hastened and no mere
called. Some members of the commit
tee want Colonel House and others
summoned, however, and another com
mittee fight may result.
In connection with the set of reser-
vations shown to Senators by Mr.
Lodge, it was said Senator Lodge did
not aggressively advocate their adop-
ton, but merely asked the opinion OF
several Senators regarding them. II
is understood thew differ in phrase.
ology from those drafted by the seven
Senators under the lead of Senator
McNary, Republican, of Oregon. bu,
that some Of the seven were most
favorably impressed by them.
1t was suggested as one possibility
i