Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-10
Declares TWo-Thirds Vote Is
Necessary to Make
Reservations.
Mr.. LODGE HAS SAID
MAJORITY is ENOUGH
No Chance for Wartime Liquor
Ban to Be Lifted, Chief
Executive Implies.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
President Wilson has turned over
a new leaf. For the first time since
May, 1917, he saw the Washington
today and talked
fully and frankly about pending
questions. For more than an hour he
discussed the peace treaty and
league of nations. and while some of
his remarks indicate that he has not
Der of things, nevertheless he is def
mite and positive in his expectation
that the Senate will ratify the treaty
without Objectionable reservations.
Mr.. Wilson gave the impression
that he wouldn't stand for any reser-
vations and rather emphatically took
issue with those who have been say
ing it takes only a majority vote of
the Senate to amend the ratifying
resolution. He may or may not be
right about this. Senator Lodge, re-
lations committee, can present con-
vincing argument exactly to the con-
trary.
Liquor Ban to Remain.
In nutshell. the sum total of the
Presidents outgiving of news
amounts to this:
First-There isn't a chance that the
ban on liquor wilF be raised between
now and January Is. when the consti-
tutional amendment on prohibition
goes into effect Mr.. Wilson spoke
of the Rehabilitation process as a
long one and as dependent upon Ger
many's part in carrying out certain
military provisions of the treaty. 1t
hadn't much hope that this would be
done early.
Second-The President made it quite
clear that he didn't intend to hold as
club over the heads of the Senate
the trading with-the-enemy act. He
admitted that it would technically
remain in force, but that the discre-
ton vested in the executive would be
exercised in favor of the immediate
resumption of trade with the central
powers Mr.. Wilson's decision is
based on an anxiety to have the Ger
mans begin earning money to pay
the enormous reparations for which
the treaty provides.
Third, the President upset one sup
position which has been general in
this country, namely, that the league
of nations bound the United States to
go to war without action by Congress.
Mr.. Wilson emphasized that nothing
in the treaty or league would bind
us to act if Congress did not wish to
do so. All the executive would do
would be to recommend action out
Congress would exercise it's constitu-
tional function to agree or disagree
with the executive.
French would be cut to the heart if
America failed to ratify the defensive
agreement. He told the correspond
ents not to call it an alliance. He be-
lieved it was not an alliance.
His explanation was that it merely
bridged the gap between the present
and the time when the league would
be in operation "a pledge to help
France in the immediate future if
Germany misbehaved again.
Fifth, Mr.. Wilson spoke of the
league of nations as formula, which
would be followed in the treaties with
and Austria and Turkey, as
a means of enforcing those pacts
Again he brought out that the league
of nations was closely interviewer in
the whole fabric of preserving the
peace that had been written. He did
not hesitate to make clear that while
the United States had not been at war
with Bulgaria and Turkey, RESPONSE
bilitieS would devolve upon us through
the league of nations to make the
United States party to the arrange
ments made with Turkey and Austria
and Bulgaria.
Two-Thirds Vote Necessary.
Sixth. The President rather surprised
his hearers by his insistence that it
would take a two-thirds. and not a
treaty. Men on Capitol Hill have been
saying the opposite. Senator Lodge
has said that when the debate be-
gan on the text or phraseology of the
ratifying resolution. amendments
would be offered such as perhaps a
provision to eliminate article ten of
the league covenant.
Mr.. Lodge thinks a majority vote
would put such an amendment irSe
the ratifying resolution SO that when
it came to voting on the whole thing
the democrats would be obliged to
vote for it as written or be RESPONSE
BILE for delaying ratification.
Mr.. Wilson thinks, presumably, that
the democrats by threatening to with
hold enough votes would make it clear
that no ratifying resolution containing
amendments would be
adopted, so that an agreement by two
thirds on the text of the resolution
would in the end be necessary. Mr..
Wilson made it very clear. too, that
the reservations would have TO be ac-
ceptable to the allies, and the plain in
ference of his remarks was that If
matters got into tdnsle ne Wouio
submit the amendments to the foreign
and the responsibility
for the delay incident to such nego-
tiation would fall upon those who were
seeking to amend. But as the inter-
view closed the President smilingly re-
iterated his confidence that the Senate
would ratify. He hasn't a bit of doubt
on the subject-or at least he doesn't
show any.
Copyright. 1919
Oppose Presidents Contention.
Nv the Associated Press.
President Wilson's statement that
adoption of treaty reservations re-