New-York tribune., 1919-10-31
Prolonged Debate to Defer
Final Ratification Test,
Opposing Leaders, Lodge
and Hitchcock, Believe
Latter Will Kill Time
Three Remaining Textual
Changes Are Expected
TO Be Defeated To-day
Nct York Tribune
Washington Bureau

b.. Ne, York Tribune
Washington Bureau
WASHlNGTON, Oct. 30.--A debate
on reservations, so prolonged as to
prevent final vote on ratification of
the German peace treaty for three or
four weeks, was predicted tonight by
Senators Lodge and Hitchcock, lead
ers of the opposing factions in the
treaty fight in the Senate. Senator
Hitchcock made 1T clear the Admins
tration forces foresee a long discus
sion and indicated they would delay
the final vote themselves by injecting
parliamentary questions into the Sen
ate's proceedings during the fight over
reservations.
The Senate probably will dispose of
the last of the amendments to the
treaty tomorrow, when the three re-
manning textual changes are expected
to be voted on and defeated.
Senator La Toilette, Republican, of
Wisconsin, to-day moved to strike out
Part 13 from the treaty Part 13 en-
braces the labor provisions. Senator
Thomas, of Colorado, who had SIM
liar amendment, supported the La Fol
lette amendment, and he Will introduce
q series of reservations modifying the
labor clauses of the treaty after the La
Toilette amendment has been dis
posed of.
New Shantung Amendment
Senator Lodge announced tonight
that he intends to offer a textual
amendment to strike out the Shantung
provision from the treaty. An amend
ment giving the former German rights
and titles on the Shantung peninsula to
China instead of to japan was the first
textual change defeated in the Senate.
Senator Lodge said that he does not
expect any debate on his amendment,
and that he Will cffer it simply to get
a record vote on it.
The third remaining amendment is
the one offered yesterday by Senator
Gore, Democrat, of oklahoma. 1t pro-
vdes for a referendum on the ques-
tion OF going to war to carry out the
awards and decisions of the council
of the league Of nations.
Unless there is an unforeseen hitch
in the program, all three Of the amend
ments will be defeated tomorrow. and
the fight on reservations Will be opened
on Monday.
Senator Hitchcock, when asked when
he intends to 20 to the White House
to confer with President Wilson, now
that the "bridge" of reservations has
been reached, said that he would not
consult the President "for some time"
"Debate on the reservations will be
much longer than we ut first expected
said Senator Hitchcock.
The Senate will have approximately
fifty reservations to consider after the
amendments have been disposed Of.
The Foreign Relations Committee has
reported fourteen and will report an
other one embracing the "6 to l" vot-
ing question.
In addition to the committee reser-
vatons, Senators Thomas, Smith of
Georgia, Pittman, Shields and Gore
have offered reservations. Senator
Hitchcock, Administration leader, will
present . series of interprctative res
ervations which he Will ask to have
adopted separately from the resolution
OF ratification.
Senator Lodge to-day said he does
not anticipate much of a contest ovel
the condition reported by the commit
tee with its reservations, that they be
afarmatVeiy accepted by three of The
great powers. The Senator called at
tentlon to the treaty with Denmark OF
the Virgin Islands, which was pro
claimed IN 1871. and which was votet
for by nearly every member of tn
Senate.
In ratlfying the Virgin Islands treat,
in September, 1916, the Senator pointed
out, the Senate added reservations pro
tectlnG the constitutional right of ever,
American subject to religious freedom
and placed the condition in the resolu
tion OF ratification that the reserva
tions would be formally accepted b,
Denmark through an exchange of notes
Secretary Of State Lansing exchanged
notes with Denmark, and Presiden
Wilson on January 25, 1917, proclaimed
that the notes had been exchanged anC
the reservations formally accepted b,
Denmark, in accordance with the Sen
ate resolution.