Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-28
AND FOES
Of LEAGUE IEV|NCE
MUCH CONFIDENCE
Both Sides Claim Victory
Is Within Their Eager
Grasp.
REPUBLICANS PROMISING
TO BRING FORTH SURPRISE
Hitchcock Says Not More Than
Fifteen G. o. P. Senator'S Will
Oppose Ratification.
SOME MEMBERS THREATENED
Weak-Kneed Told That They Must
Face Voters on Issue in
Two Years.
SOME MEMBERS THREATENED
BIZ JAMES n. NouasE.

WASHINGTON. June 2T.-The atmos-
phere OF the Senate today was heavily
charged with claims and countercIaims
by opponents and advocates of the
league or nations as to what will be
done with the league covenant when
the President brings it to the Senate.
Opponents OF the league strongly as
serted that they have votes enough to
force the adoption of amendments or
reservations to the covenant They
claimed fifty-one votes as certain to
be recorded for alterations in the docu.
ment.
The league advocates just as visor-
ously asserted that the Republican op-
position has gone to pieces and that
the covenant will be adopted without
amendment.
Promise EARLY Surprise.
Several Of the Republican Senator's
who are leading the fight against the
League limited broadly of IAN expIo-
sIo sion that may be looked for. within
concerning which they maintained or
dinary secrecy. it was said. will set
tie the fate of the league
America he will find the league Of
kelp.,'5 '5swas the sfafefnsnaf made dbs bys one ,oe
senator iS,aat Another suggested that ''the
ed and 1t has at last been ascertained
upon what form Of amendment or
reservation majority of the Senate
can be prevailed upon to agree.
What of the FIXTURE.
The question which the league op-
ponents are now putting up to those
who are inclined to favor it is this:
IF you vote for this league plan.
now are you going to explain to the
people two years from now. or at any
time In the future. why you voted to
surrender the independence and SOW
powers?"
1t is said this question has been
propounded with satisfactory results
to a number of the Senators who are
weak -kneed on the league Issue.
me league opponents now count
Senator, except McCumber, Of North
Dakota, and SIcNary, of Oregon. To
offset these. it is claimed they will get
the votes of Senator Gore. of Okla
OF Missouri
Hitchcock In Confident.
Senator Hitchcock. of Nebraska the
democratic leader, asserted on behalf
of the league advocates that the Re
publicans Will be unable to accom-
plish anything, and that the Democrats
will not consent to any amendment Of
the covenant. He said:
The Republicans are hopelessly di-
vided. They will go all up and down
the fence trying TO pull off the pickets
but VIII be unable to remove one OF
them. They never can obtain a ma
jority for the Knox resolution, the Fall
resolution, the Sherman resolution or
any OF the reservations suggested by
Mr. Root. These will be voted down by
the Democrats with the assistance of
Republicans; there will be more than
two Republicans who will aid us in
accomplishing this result.
when all efforts in the direction of
amendment or reservation have failed,
the treaty will be ratified by n sub
stantial majority. In my opinion. not
more than fifteen Republicans and but
one Democrat will vote against ratif-
cation"