The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-12-02

To RAT|FY
PEACE TREATY

l
| WASHINGTON. Dec. Negotiations
/ for a compromise ratification Of tho
peace treaty were renewed today with
| tho reasscmhlinG Of congress. but tho
/ general feeling Of scnGl"rs on both Siucs
! was that IL might be some weeks before
/ the movement reached the stag OF formal
| action.
Republican and Democratic leaders
| found themselves in agreement that the
/ legislative program should not be long
/ er delayed. and that the treaty should
! not be brought again bcfUr" the senate
| formally until a way to dispose of It
finally had been opened by private dis
cussion. There were Indications that ,nc
| resolution to declare q state Of peace
! might also he delayed until important
| legislation had been cleared away.
| Treaty StdetrG2cd.
| The disposition to leave the treaty
! sidetracked for the present was eXpec,cd
! by senators generally to be reflected in
| the message which President Wilson Viii
send to congress tomorrow. None pro-
! fesscd to have any definite Knowledge OF
! the presidents intent ions. however, and
| White House officials were silent to-
night regarding the probable contents Of
| the message.
In the short session today neither the
; treaty nor the peace resolution was mcn-
toned, but there was much private taJK
which developed some disposition 70
compromise on both sides. Democratic
senators who approached Republicans on
, the subject were told to put their pro-
posals into concrete form. They prom
Used to do so within day or two.
To these discussions. however. Senator
Lodge, the Republican leader was lot q
party He has announced his opposition
to any further compromise. and IS UNI
dcrstood to have counscllcd his colleges
to stand squarcly behind the reservations
accepted by the majority at the Last scs-
sion.
Hitchcock Secs Success
Senator Hitchcock, the Democratic
leader, predicted that the compromise eA.
forts would succeed and that within
few weeks il would be posslbl" 10 bring
in the treaty and ratlfy 1t quickly. lie
expects TO see President Wilson soon and
Is expected to ascertain whit rcscrva-
lions the president would accept other
, than see the treaty die
During the day Senator Hitchcock was
In communication with White House or
ficials and Is understood to have told
Thorn there would be no urgent necessity
for him to see the president for four Jr
five days. A conference may be arrang
ed latc this week.
Although Senator Lodge Is understood
to be anxious to bring up as soon as
possible his resolution declaring n state
Of peace, other prominent Republicans
predicted that action on 1t In the I'M
mediate future would be impossible. The
administration forces, con;cndns thai
peace can be established properly only
by ratification of the treaty. are prcpar-
ed to stubbornly oppose the resolution
and Il said fight for its adoption now
would mean another long delay Of lcsts-
lation-
Action on the resolution by the house
will be sought at once. however. the NE
publican leaders making plans today to
have it presented there within day or
so. So far it has been introduced only
in the senate, where II now rests in the
foreign relations committee. No meet
ing Of the committee has been called
to consider it