Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-23
COMPROMISE NEAR
ON RATIFICATION
Lodges Changes to Article Ten
the Stumbling Block Canvass
Shows.

Washington, Dec. Ex-senator Hitch
cock, the administration leader, has
nearly completed a canvass of the Re-
publican Senators who are not lrrevocably
opposed to ratification of the treaty
Ills conferences with them disclosed MIR
hitchcock said yesterday, that the spirit
OF Compromise was daily growing stronger.
He found however, that there was
still clash of opinion over article y,
with its pledge to guarantee and preserve
territorial integrity. Tins clash, Senator
Hitchcock said, made article Y pretty
serious stumbling block on the way of
ratification
President Wilson, the Senator said,
would. IN his opinion, accept reserva-
ton upon this point which gave Com
gress authority in any given case to say
whether that case put upon the United
States moral obligation to use its army
and navy IN defense of some country's 5
territorial rights But the President
would not accept. he believed, a reserva-
ton that took out of the covenant the
direct notice 10 all nations that any war
OF conquest would bring upon them the
combined retributivc force of the world.
Discussing his conferences with Re-
pubEcans, Senator Hitchcock said that he
believed that method was much more
effective as i means of getting plain talk
from each man than general conference
would be He was asked concerning "a
report that be had asked 'middle-ground'
Senators to meet him during the holiday
recess.
FINDS DESIRE FOR COMPROMISE.
Il have net called such conference
and do not know OF any" he replied.
q do not think that any conference of
a considerable number of Senators would
prove effective. To get the views of
senators individually and frankly, | 4
have talked with them, one BY one
found some Senators concerned over one
point some over another, but all Of them
cvlnced 4 most earnest desire to see 4
compromise worked ont.
The Monroe Doctrine, / find, does
not trouble many Of them Jurisdiction
over domestic questions gives some 0f
fhem much concern.
DO You find article \ still a stumbling
block" he was asked
rs a stumbling block find article \
pretty serious he replied, and added
lis opinion As To President Wilson
position on that point
The Senator was asked whether he
thought that Senator lnderwoods pro-
posal for 4 conGhation committee az
ten would receive support after the
recess.
That proposal vas rejected when
senator Panlcrene offered Il he said
Il daa't think this can H. arranged formal
ly Such committee III mv opinioY.
would not be Of much use until 4 comnro-
mise had been pretty well worked out.
FARrCH ADDS 70 UNCERTAINTY.
MIR. Hitchcock said that hc did not
sec Bernard NJ Baruch. whose visit to
Senator'S last week after he had seen
President Wilson caused stir sit the
I apitol- Mr.. BarGchs calls on mild
reservationists and on the President were
more likely in behalf OF New York friends
than as an administration emissarv, MIR.
Hitchcock said
In this connection he said that an I'M
preston had gone abroad. fostered hv
oes of a compromise, that President VII
on had gone on record against accepting
, compromise If the Senate worked one
out
The President has never refused Ia
receipt 8 compromise, said Mr. Hitch
-ock. He has never said anything Int
hat he would not offer one
In connection with Mr. Baruchs ac-