Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-07-20
OPPONENTS 0F TREATY WOULD
 COMPROMISE Republicans Believe They Can Work Out Acceptable
 Reservations. THE ADMINISTRATION
 MEN STANDING FIRM President Feels That Any Reserya- tions by U. s. in League Treaty Might Cause Collapse of
 Structure.

oOiuS
 Washington, July 19.-Although administration leaders both in execu- tive and senate circles, discount the possibility of President Wilson ac- ceptlng any reservation in the rati- flcatlon of the peace treaty and Lea que of Nations covepant, some of the republican senators who have told the president in their conference that q majority will favor interpretative re- se1Vatlons are discussing what mid dle ground may be found on which the opposing forces may unite.
 The administration senators con- tinue to stand firm on their claim that they will have the votes to pass the treaty without change, and say that as they will make their fight on that basis they do not care to discuss what might happen if they failed to muster them.
 Meanwhile, the republicans, who favor the League of Nations idea. but have told the president some reser- yations will have to be made. are working on plans which they feel will in the end, be acceptable.
 In the meantime, it develops that If the president is making any effort to sound out the entente powers on possible reservations, as has been re ported, none of the usual channels Of the entente embassies in Washing ton are being used and there is no evidence here to support that theory.
 Possible Reservations.
 The discussions among the republi- cans seem, at this stage, to range around tentative set of reservations which might be outlined this way:
 That nothing in article ten shall be construed to oblieate the United States to enter war without a declara- ticn of war by con0ress:
 That nothing in the covenant shall in any way impair the Monroe doc- Urine or curtail the nations predroga- tive of administering it as a purely national policy: and
 That it shall be understood that in accepting the covenant the United States does not subtract from it's sovereign right to determine purely domestic problems such as immigra- tion and tariff.
 These and other reservations of similar character designed to give ad- ditional guarantees of the right of independent national action without vitiating the fabric of the League might satisfy. it is argued, a consider able group of republican senators who are favorable to some sort of a peace league.
 At the same time, their sponsors argue, the propositions thus put for ward do not run counter in any way to the professed tenents of the ad- ministration.
 Would Endanger Entire Treaty.
 The objection to such reservations as expressed in the administration point of view is that they might ne- cessiate re-negotiation, encourage other nations to make reservations of their own, cause delay and confusion and finally endanger the whole lea que plan. In that connection, Pres- dent Wilson is said, in talking with senators. to have described the pres ent political status of Europe as a field in which it may be very difficult to carry on such a re-neeotiation.
 In his conference with Senator Hitchcock, MT. Wilson is known to have expressed strongly the feeling that it was only necessary to clear up misunderstanding in order to reach a solution of the senate situation. Some senators interpreted this posi- tion, taken after seeing seven repub- licans, as suggesting that the presi- dent might, in fact, have in mind some definite plan to bring together the administration senators and those republicans who are for interpreta- tive reservations.
 May Explain Shantung Provision
 The Shantung provision, which has aroused storm of senate protest al, most eclipsing the leaoue controversy, is expected by some of the presidents recent callers to be the subject of a white house declaration either in the form of public statement or a mes sage to the senate. Some of the re- publicans believe this declaration will greatly change the aspect of this pro- vision. SS
 The senate was not in session to- day and the foreign relations commit tee also took rest in it's preliminary reading of the treaty text. Both will meet Monday. On Tuesday, Pre- sident Wilson is expected to see more republican senators at the white house, today and Monday having been skipped in the appointment list. it is understood, to permit the presi- dent to catch up with other business.