The sun., 1919-11-02
FEARS REPUBLICAN
TREATY VOTE TRAP
Hitchcock Fights Shy Of
Lodges Proposal for Unani-
nous Consent.
HOPES TO SEE WILSON
President Expected Shortly to
Determine on Day for
Final Action.
Special pespatch to TIE sus.


WASHINGTON. Nov. l. - If President
Wilson is well enough to discuss the
legislative situation with him, Senator
Hitchcock CNeb.) hopes for a conference
at the White House tomorrow or early
Monday upon which to determine imme-
diate procedure of the Administration
forces in dealing with the proposals for
unanimous agreements as to a day for
final vote on the peace treaty.
It was intimated at the White House
this morning that such conference
niight take place to-day, but Senator
Hitchcotll later said he had no inforna-
ton about II and that he hoped to see
the President to-day, tomorrow or Mon
day He did not think it particularly
necessary to discuss the parliamentary
situation with the President at this time.
Senator Hitchcock indicated that he
suspected the proposals for unanimous
consent by Senator's Lodge (Mass.) and
Fall IN. NJ as Republican traps and
was going to be wary of them, despite
the fact that throughout the whole pro-
tracted treaty fight the Republican pro-
gramme has been free from the faintest
suggestion Of bad faith. He feared that
agreement on n date for vote on the
resolution of ratification might nave the
effect of depriving him of opportunity
70 offer a substitute resolution after
the one from the committee had been
defeated, and proposed to take ample
measures to protect his side against
such a possibility.
In the Hitchcock plan it is contem-
plated that the resolution of ratification,
containing the reservations on which the
Senate will have agreed, will fail to
secure the t~-o-thirds vote necessary to
pass it. If ii does fail, then majority
vote will be sufficient to carry motion
to reconsider. and some Democrat would
move for reconsideration This, again,
Senator Hitchcock is confident he can
carry and thus bring the treaty back to
the Senate and afford opportunity to
offer revised resolution of ratification.
He desires to avoid being trapped"
into any agreement that might pre-
clude offering this revision of the reso-
luton. 1t Is his opinion that the many
amendments of the original resolution
will be offered in the effort to secure
an agreement OF the necessary two
thirds of the Senate on some form of
the resolution. In this process of try
ing out successive expressions of the
reservations Mr.. Hitchcock anticipates
it may be necessary to spend many days
in debate.
Senator Borah (Idaho) declared him
self opposed to haste at this time, be-
cause after the ratification resolution
is finally formulated he wants time for
careful survey of the whole situation.
when we get to that stage" he said,
I'VE will want to analyze the whole
document before us--treaty, covenant,
reservations and all-and find out ex-
acty what it is we are asked to ratify.
shall not be willing to limit myself
in making the exposition of the whole
matter in this phase; and others are of
the same mind. There will not be agree
ment in any arrangement that will de-
prive the irreconcilable critics of this
privilege"
Whether any sort of unanimous con-
sent will be reached on Monday Is doubt
full. The Democratic plan will not name
date to begin the final voting, and
Senator Borah will not assent to much
Limitation of discussion. Many parlia-
mentary difficulties must be cleared
away Both sides fear to commit them
selves too far.