The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-16
First Time in History
That Such Action Has
Been Taken.
HITCHCOCK AND
LODGE IN CLASH
May Take the Clerk Six
Days to Read Text Of
Treaty As Required BY
Senate Rules.
nv JAMES r. NoURsE

BY JAMES H. N0SRSI
Washington, Sept. l5,--At ex-
actly e o'clock TO-DAY, senator
Lodge, rising Ia his place IN Tue
senate. said:
with Germany
Thus was pegun the formal
consideration w the senate OF
the pact brought from Paris oy
President Wilson for the settle
r,ent OF the beiiigerency be-
twean the United States and Ger
MANY For the first time In
American history the considers
ton Of the treaty 10 to be held
IN s.op6n executtve session
every word that u said IN sup
sort Of II and everything that y
xaid n Remuneration Of Il. will
" heard by tho public The end
Of the debate may MOI be reached
in less than three months, put
Il all the while IL peink. car.'eu
on the doors Of the senate will ne
open.
The beginning Of the consideration
kf thu treaty 80 nArked ny oslkss
kartiean clashes between TIE LIMO.
Sratir and Republican leaders oves
fte responsibility for delay.
senator Hitchcock, leader on tht
,f,emocrntic eide. charged that the
u rr,,hiscane were undertaking to
ssnuander many hours" by having tins
Al,sfrian treaty read. To this Sena-
fcr Lodge, the Republican leader. re.
n.fnd that the only reason he asked
N, haye the Austrian treaty read wa
f&cause few of the Democratic senA-
tors would ever hear II read any
ether way
LODGE wTTHDRAwS REQUEST
senator Lodge withdrew his request
for the reading Of the Austrian
treaty. and contented himself with
having it printed in the record ana a.
= public document The copy SUP
Fitted by him was obtained from I
Chicago, newspaper .eoyrssponden'
who brought II from Paris
senator Hitchcock was out OF the
chamber 1ehen Senator Lodge OBJ
h,,ned unanimous consent TO nave the
Anstrian treaty read. When ne
feard about il he. arose and strenu-
n,sIv objected. He declared that Sen
nfor Lodge knew perfectly well that
chile the treaty was being read u
S-ould not be listened to by 4 dozen
scnators. adding:
II, can Just az we'll be put in the
e.eord. / am told that he has CD
tsfned unanirnour consent for squan'
Ntrinw hours on the senseless read
.ng Of this treaty. ! appeal 70 him tc
withdraw HIS request
$ Senator Lodge. who had been
htanding during Senator Hitchcock
remarks, replied A. follows. !.
!. " am perfectly willing ~ have =
nrtnted without reading. In fact
when ! entered the senate Just nnw
had fully Intended 10 withdraw the
reou1st to have 1, read. But after
the genial remarks OF the senator
from Nebraska, I arm almost inclin'
"a Is insist upon having X read. How
aver, am entirely willing to foregr
ms reading and have It printed"
Senator williams. OF Misxissippi
took q hand In the wrangle at this
point by demanding to know from,
what source Senator Lodge procured
his copy OF the, treaty. He sasc
hie only reason for asking 70 have
thA Austrian treaty read was because
RID experience with the German treaty
had shown him that the democratic
senators would not give any atten.
fion 10 the reading OF IL in the com.
mittee meetings.
Sw1nson's Suggestion
Senator swanson asked II the Ger
wan treaty could not be disposed Of
w,thout any reading at all. but Sen
4 ator Lodge painted out to him thai
ire senate rules require all m aasures
rs Be read the hrst. second and third
times before passing.
rns first reading is by title only
hut the second time the treaty mus
~ read word for word so that amend.
\ rnenfs may be considered In theii
rrcper place. II is estimated It vii
Il saAe the secretary OF the senate about
~ DAYS to do the entire reading.
As all OF the time of this afternoon
na consumed by senators speakine
VI N the league OF nations, the secretary
n ala not get a chance to do any read
Ing.
/. tavarman delivered speeches This
u corner declared himself opposed e
4 ~ reservations proposed BY the for
n ~isn relations committee heca use HI
I feSfed they would operate to Kill th'
treaty.
aenator ovsrman said he would mol
nnr,oNe reservations provided they
1otild not aend the treaty. back 10 this
pnooe conference.
4 senator McCumbsr. Republican d
~. -. = - -. - 49,.