The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1919-12-24
treaty WAR May END
AT AN EARLY DATE
Underwood and Lodge Put Heads To-
gether and Talk Real
Business
SENATOR HITCHCOCK BUSY
Some Members Express, Confidence
That Matter Will BE Settled
Before January 16

Dciolc JANUARY ~
Washington, Dec. 22. (By the Asso-
ciated Press. s.)-Comprom efforts for
ratification of the peace treaty moved
forward with increasing impetus to-
day, when the leaders of both parties
in the Senate, released from legisla-
tive duties by the holiday recess of
Congress, came actively into the nego-
tiations for an agreement on reserva-
tions.
Lodge and Underwood Meet
Notable in the days long series Of
conciliation conferences was a meet
ing between Senator Lodge of Massa-
chusetts, the Republican leader, and
Senator Underwood, OF Alabama, a
prominent Democrat advocate of
speedy compromise. They are said to
have discussed the whole range of
possibilities for bringing together on
a common ground enough Senators to
insure ratification
Hitchcock Is Busy
Meantime the acting Democratic
leader, Senator Hitchcock, of Nebras-
ka, canvassed sentiment on both sides
of the controversy and arranged dur
! ing the coming week to see every
=
Washington over the holidays. AS
soon as Congress reassembles he plans
to have a general conference of those
woh favor ratification with or with
out reservations.
ieVw of Mild Group
In his talk with Senator Under
wood, Mr.. Lodge had before him the
views of the mild reservation group
of Republicans who presented to him
at conference yesterday a plea for
support of the compromise negotia-
tlons that have been proceeding every
since the treaty failed of ratification
at the last session of Congress.
Reservations Rcadopted
Notifications in the language of the
reservations, as agreed on by the Sen
ate majority, are understood to have
been suggested by the mild reserva-
tionists, although it was said the uues
tion of the language to be adopted
would be left open for the present
Redrafts of some Of these reservations
have been submitted to various Scna-
tors by prominent Republicans outside
of Congress, while many suggestions
for changes have come from other
sources. All Of these, it is understood
will be taken into consideration as the
negotiations proceed.
1t was not revealed which Of the
fourteen majority reservations the
mild group would be willing to modi-
fly, but compromise discussions hereto
fore have centcrcd about the article
10 qualification and the preamble
which requires that the reservations
must be accepted by three of the great
powers before the treaty becomes
binding. There also has been talk of
changes in regard to Shantung and
several other subjects dcalth with in
the majority program.
A protest against the action of the
foreign relations committee i'm rcport- |
ing Saturday the resolution of Senator
Knox, Republican, Pennsylvania to de-
clare state Of peace, also is said
to have been made to the Republican
leader yesterday by the mild reserva
tionists. They are understood to have
sren1oved all possibility Of Senate ac- |
tion on the measure in the near fu-
ture by serving notice that they would |
not support it unless and until it be-
came certain the treaty could not be
ratified with reservations.
AS result Of yesterdays confer |
ence and of activity among the Demo /
Gratis, the whole subject Of rescrva-
tions seemed tonight to have been
opened wide, with both sides profess
ing a willingness to enter whole |
heartedly into an energetic give-and- |
take effort at compromise. Predictions
of early action on the treaty multi |
piled. many Senators declaring action
was likely before the end of January.
Some Of the more optimistic ex
pressed confidence that the ratfica-
ton would come before January 16
a thus formally establishing peace and
Npermitting the President to lift prohi |
bition for a brief wet spell before the
constitutional prohibition amendment
becomes effective on that date.
There were other Senators however,
who took less stock in the compromise |
movement, predicting that in due time
It would collapse like all it's forerun-
ners. 1t was pointed out that Pres-
dent Wilson might again interccde if
fasolutions accepted by members Of
R7s party in the Senate did not meet
with his approval.