Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-08-14
Democratic Assent
Continues from Pane one)

Among many senator's the days
developments were interpreted as
marking the beginning Of the end IT
the long treaty fight. This prediction
was by no means unanimous, how
ever. Some Republicans of the COM
mittee believe they should have more
information before they act. and two
of them, Senators johnson of Cal
ifornia and Borah of Idaho, wrote a
letter to Chairman Lodge asking that
General Bliss, Colonel House and 9TH
ers connected with the Versailles
negotiations be asked to appear be-
fore the committee.
The general expectation was, how
ever, that the committee would not
change it's plan to proceed to a de-
cision on the treaty and that outside
the committee events might shape
up ever more rapidly. After they
heard from the Democrats today.
the reservation Republicans began
a poll to ascertain just how many of
their party they could count on in
their negotiations, An early adjourn
ment OF the Senate interrupted the
move, but within a day or two they
expect to have a more definite idea
OF their strength.
1t was asserted there had been sew
eral additions to the group. hut no
senator has publicly announced his
aonerence to the plan since it was
agreed on by the original seven.
The exact basis for their hope that
senator Lodge yill join in the move
ment was not revealed by the res
ervation leaders. 1t was pointed out,
however. that in his address to The
Senate yesterday he did not plead
Tor rejection Of the league entirely
but outlined objections to the COW
enant provisions dealt with by the
- oI'osed reservations. in one in
stance he spoke Of Changing" one
OF these provisions.
Friends Of the foreign relations
committee chairman declared ina, he
would insist at lest IN reservations
or amendments with teeth III
them" Republican members =. the
committee who want % defeat The
league covenant directly declared 20
day that they were confden. Mr..
Lodge would vote with them.
The situation in the committees may
be brought to a head BY the letter of
Senators johnson and Borah asking
that further witnesses be called
The question probably yill come up
tomorrow. Senators Fall, Republi-
can, New Mexico, and Noses, Pepub-
lican, New Hampshire. also are IN
derstood to have suggested the call
ling OF more Witnesses at to.,ay's
meeting. Senator Fall also is sad
to have declared that the committee
could not be expected 20 pass intel
hgently on all the obligations en-
bodied in the treaty until the other
treaties be negotiated at Versailles
were brought in.
Senator Hitchcock told the COM
mlttee that virtually every senator
had made up his mind how he would
vote and that the country wanted
the treaty disposed Of one way or
the other.
Besides General Bliss and Colonel
House, Senators johnson and Borah
are understood to have suggested in
their letter that the committees hear
f. I. Williams. former head of the
state departments Far Eastern di.
vision. s. K. Hornbeck and William
c. Bullitt. alladvisers to the COM
mission who resigned while the ne
gotiations were in progress. LII has
oeen reported that Messrs. Williams
and Hornbeck left the Commission
because of the Shantung settlement
and Mr.. Bullitt because he uas lie
satisfied with provisions affecting
Russia.
what amendments or reservations
Will be attached to the treaty, is said
by members to depend largely on
Chairman Lodge. The Republicans
have a majority of three, but one of
them. Senator McCumber, is expect
ed to vote with the Democrats
against any radical amendment.
should the chairman also accent the
reservations program similar to the
McCumber plan, the anti-amendment
group would be in the majority.
What may have been the part
played by the White House in the
negotiations between Democratic
senators and the reservation Repub.
licans has not been revealed. Mem
bers of the latter group who have
talked with President Wilson have
been confident that he would be will
ing in the end to accept such a pro-
gram. but publicly there has been
no change in his stand for unre-
served ratification.