Arizona republican., 1919-08-17
BIT TER F|GHI FOR COVENANT I
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 G.O.P.PR PROCRA|N 
Conference Between Wilson And Senator Hitchcock Arouses Ire of Opposi- tion; Republicans Accept Suggestion of President as Challenge
rRepubIIcan A. p. Leased wire1

 sequel to the White House conference yesterday between President Wilson and Senator Hitchcock, administration leader in the senate treaty fight, it be- came apparent today that the admin istration forces would center their present effort on bringing the treaty out of committee and defeating any textual amendments, leaving in the background any negotiations relative to final ratification with reservations.
 Meantime, republican senators de- clared one result of the negotiation of the last few days and of Senator Hitch cocks statements after he left the pres ident has been to stiffen resistance to any attempt at unreseryed ratification and to increase the determination of those who want the trea-y amended outright. They asserted yesterdays poll had shown opposition to the Shantung provision growing stronger in the face of the explanatory state ments from Tokio and from the White House.
 Opposition Strengthens
 The reported position os the presi- dent that any textual amendments would send the treaty back for rene gotiation with Germany without any military force to compel acceptance of the American demands WAS taken as largely forecasting the trend of the amendment fight. It was understood that feature would be emphasized by Senator Hitchcock in a speech he is expected to make next week in the senate. The fact that Senator Hitch cock did not quote the president as standing uncompromisineay against reservations for the same reason was pointed out as significant by some of the group of republicans who under the leader of Senator McN;iry. republi- can, Oregon, have agreed on a set of reservations. They declared all the elements of the situation bore out their claim of Wednesday that they had in- formation insuring democratic assent to their program.
 Among the group there was some favorable comment during the day on the new set of reservations shown to republican senators by republican Leader Lodge. In the sane quarter it was pointed out that should he defi- nitely give his support to a reservation program acceptable to large number of senators, the logical outcome might be a draft of reservations by him which would become the rallying point of the republican reservation forces.
 Takes Suggestion as Challenge
 Considerable interest was aroused by a statement of MT. Hitchcock that the president had laughingly' suggested sending Senators Lodge and Knox to negotiate any future treaty with Ger many should the present. one fail through being amended. Republican members of the foreign relations com mittee who are fighting for amend ments said they welcomed the sugges- tion as challenge"
 The amendment proposal which the leaders on both sides expet,t to develop the greatest strength in the senate contemplates striking from the treaty the provision giving Japan control in the Chinese province of Shantung
 Advocates of the Shantung amend ment declare Senator Lodge will line up with them on the proposal. They also assert he will support several mittee, but the reservation group are inclined to think he will not
 WASHINGTON, Aug. 16-Former Attorney General Wiekersham in a statement issued through the League to Enforce Peace, today called on the senate to ratify the peace treaty with the league of nations covenants and then prepare to perfect tf,e document by amendment through the assembly and council of the league, in the same manner as he pointed out, the fram- CTS of the constitution provided for it's amendment by the states.
 Critics of the constitution Mir. Wick, ersham declared, opposed it because it did not contain bill Of rights pro tecting the liberties of the states and the peoples and the corcurrenee of some substantially Nesy York and Massachusetts was secured only by promises that steps would be taken for early amendments to smooth the ob- iections most strongly urged. The first congress, the former attorney general recalled. redeemed those promises by submitting the first amndments which have been characterized as a bill of rights. :
 Let the senate ratify the treaty, and thus avert from America the reproach of depriving the world of the great hope, the radiant promise of the world allied for the preservation of peace. Then let those measures for the better safeguarding of the national tradition and institutions of America, be formu- lated by the senate or by both houses of congress and transmitted to the American representatives in the as- sembly and in the council of the league of nations with Instructions to present and press them for adoption as amendments to the coyerlauf ? he said