Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-06
PEACE PACT BACK
FOR SENATE ACTION
|S,NOW EXPECTED
Compromise Offer May be Ten
pered; This Will be Presidents
Final Effort.
ONLY ARTICLE x IN WAY
From Today's Baltimore Sun.

From Today's Baltimore Sun.
Washington, April 5.--That President
Wilson is preparing to resubmit the Treaty
of Versailles to the Senate for reconsidera-
ton of that body has been asserted re-
peatedly in official circles for the last
three weeks, but the fact remains that the
Executive has confded to nobody with
the possible exception of the Secretary of
State the plans he has adopted in dealing
with the peace problem, beyond his an
nounced purpose of vetoing peace by
resolution of Congress.
LAST EFFORT EXPECTED.
There is sound reason, however, for
believing that Mr.. Wilson will make one
last effort to reconcile the differences
which exist between himself and the
Senate before forcing the question of
peace to referendum of the American
peoples. 1t need not be surprising if he
makes his veto of the proposed peace reso-
luton the occasion for a reopening of
discussion of the original treaty.
This assumption is based upon the
logic of the situation itself. If the Presi-
dent, 1t is reasoned, serves notice upon
Congress by veto that he will not contest
TO a move toward peace undertaken by
that bodyl that the legislative branch
of the Government has no part in the
negotiation OF treaties and that only the
Executive Department may conduct the
foreign affairs of the Government, then
he assumes thesobligation to take the next
step. If he will not permit Congress to
act in the direction of peace, in other
words, he himself must act in that di-
rectlon.
TWO COURSES OPEN.
The unanswered question thereupon
arises, what will the President do? He
has at least two well-detined courses open
To him. He may proceed to establish
modus vivendf under which all govern
ments associated with the United States
in the matter of peace agree to let the
peace situation remain as at present until
some future date. when n final policy will
be adopted by this Government.
The obvious time to have moved in
that direction was Immediately after
the Senate had rejected the peace treaty.
And since the President did not resort
to such procedure at once, the impress
sion has grown that he would not resort
10 it at all although it is not too late
by any means.
The safer guess is that he will follow
the other course in the hope that by sub
mitting the treaty once more to the Sem
impossible and the whole issue settled
at a single throw The President is not
deceived for moment as to the neces-
sitv for compromise. He quite under
stands that il will be a perfectly futile
thing TO send the treaty to the Senate
once more without having first made up
his mind that he must meet the opposi-
tion on the their own ground and that he
must make important concessions.
MOST CONCESSIONS EASY.
All concessions are comparatively easy
TO make it is believed, except that
dealing with Article Y. If an agree
ment can be attained respecting that
article which does not literally nullify
it. the rest viii be smooth sailing. Many
times during the Senate negotiations of
the last FIVE or six months the conflict
ing elements were near an understand
ing on Article Y which, if it had been
reached. would have solved the whole
difficulty The treaty would have been
ratified and the state of war between
this country and Germany would have
been terminated.
The only poSsihie chance for early ac-
ton on the peace treaty, il returned to
the Senate, lies IN n early compromise. |
Senator Lodge had given full warning
that since that measure is now out OF
the hands of the Senate it will have to
60 through the mill over again, once it
IS sent back. 1t viii have to be referred
to the Committee on Foreign Relations,
considered by that committee for an in
definite time, then reported In the usual
order TO the Senate where 1t will be
called up and debated just as though it
had never been before shat body.
But if the President has indicated in
xlax l., <,fi
the more vital reservations or will COM
promise regarding them the delay brought
about BY the formalities need not be
long. The Senate is so eager to solve the
peace problem that If fair opportunity
is afforded to arrive at such solution ii
will be seized In short order. The treaty
could 20 through the foreign relations
committee and come to a final vote in
two weeks If all interests were in agree
ment rs to the program OF reservations.
MAY PUT BONUS ON SENATE.
There is one other possibility involved
In the treaty situation which is being
quietly discussed in Washington. The
President might send the treaty back TO
the Senate without overtures for a COM
promise and without the slightest in
tention of making any further conces-
sions. He might do it for the sole pur-
pose OF forcing the peace issue more !
prominently into the campaign.
SO long as the treaty is in his hands |
If is in q sense subordinated as q polit- !
zeal questions But if It were back In the |
Senate and q matter of debate in that |
body or If it were kept in a pigeonhole by |
obstructionists on the Foreign Relations |
Committee at the time the recess is taken |
for the national conventions, the measure |
would be more alive, it is pointed out, as |
a campaign issue.
Many Republicans. it might be added. !
seem convinced that the President viii /
adopt this strategy in his efforts to force |
the two parties to take a more concrete |
stand upon the treaty than they might |
do otherwise.
HOUSE VOTES THURSDAY.
Republican and Democratic leaders of |
the House began rounding up their forces |
today for the big fight Thursday over the |
joint resolution put forward by Republi- |
cans declaring the war with Germany /
ended. kilograms were sent TO absent |
members of both parties to return here |
In time to vote on the resolution Friday.
ANOTHER PLEA OF PEOPLE