Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-11-17
TREATY'S FATE
To- Be SETTLED
IN SHORT TIME
President and Hitchcock
to Confer Upon Plans
of Final Contest.
Deadlock or Ratification
byEnd Of Present Week
1t Is Expected.

Washington. Nov. 16.-A con-
ference between President Will
son and Senator Hitchcock, ad-
ministration leader in the SEN
ate contest over the peace
treaty, is impending to deter
mine the fate Of the treaty and
plans for adjournment of the
special session Of congress.
Senator Hitchcock will see the presi-
dent to take up the final reservations
to the treaty and expects to obtain from
him final word on the form of reserva-
tons he will accept The conference was
arranged at Senator Hitchcock S request
after seeing number of democratic
leaders.
Definite outcome Of the treaty con
troversy this week-either By deadlock
or ratification-and adjournment of the
special session of congress seems assur-
ed. With the cloture rule in effect the
senate will take up the two committee
reservations, and after disposal Of doz-
ems of individual reservations reach the
last stage Of ratification in a day or SO.
Adjournment is Near
The final action on the treaty. adjourn
ment sine die of the session which began
May 10 is planned before the new and
long spssion begins two weeks from TO-
morrow.
At the treaty conference at the White
House Senator Hitchcock will be able
to give the president the last survey of
the situation. Except for a few addi-
tional reservations whose adoption Is
expected the majority's final resolution
Of ratification virtually is in form.
Senator Hitchcock said that he would
submit the majority reservations as
adopted and those still before the sen
ate. together with the minority suhsti
tutes, to President Wilson, for his final
judgment"
VIII Fight Marshall.
Leaders Of both parties predicted that
the president would not accept the reser
vation program adopted by the senate.
The majority managers said they were
proceeding with plans TO override Vice
President Marshalfs proposed ruling
that the treaty could not live or die by
a vote on the resolution containing reser-
yations adopted BY the majority.
The program Of the majority contem
plates that final rejection Of the Lodge
resolution upon reconsideration with a
second vote. shall be ruled as decisive
ratification or defeat.
The first reservation to come up viii
be that designed to qualify the treaty
provisions BY which Germany renounces,
in favor Of the ''hg five" powers, her
title to her overseas possessions, of
which final disposition is TO be made af-
forwards under the mandatory system.
The reservation declares the United
States declines TO accept as trustee. or
in its own right, any responsibility for
such territory
Claim a Majority
For this reservation, the republican
leaders declare, they are assured of q
majority. but they are not so certain
about the other and final measure on the
committee program. 1t is blanket
reservation BY which this country would
decline to submit TO the leagues decision
any question it considered to involve Vi
tai national rights and interests.
Some Of the mild reservation group do
not favor it. and predict its defeat
In statement the executive commit
tee Of the league to enforce peace de-
clared that if such a reservation were
adopted. it would be ''the plain duty of
every senator who sincerely believes in
a league of nations to vote against the
ratification