The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-24
BREAK IN RANKSOF
 DEMOCRATIC TREATY FRIENDS FORESEEN
Influential Senators Move for Caucus to Discuss Possible Change in
 Party Policy
By Associated Pres,

Washington, February 23--Possibilv ities of a substantial break in the democratic peace treaty ranks in the Senate impelled influential demo- cratic senators to move today for caucus to discuss a possible change in party policy and revived the hopes of the republicans that the treaty migh; yet be ratified with the republican reservations adopted at the last ses sion of Congress.
 On the republican side It wns
 asserted that twenty-tNso demo
 crats. only dozen short of the
 number required to insure ratifica-
 ton. had sisnified R willingness
 to quit the lead of President Will
 son and take the republican res-
 ervation programme as 1t is., Thi. \ total, the administration chiefs de-
 clared exaggerated. but they con-
 ceded that were vote taken to-
 morrow on the republican resOIU-
 ton of ratification it would com
 mand more than the seven demo-
 cratic votes 1t got last November.
 The movement for q democratic caucus may bring into the open ts sponsors believe. the dissatisfaction that has smouldered in some demo cratic quarters since the President sent his memorable letter to the caucus of November 1s, asking that the se1 ators of his party vote against rat ifica ton on the basis of the repub, can reservations.
 The seven senators who disrc-
 garded his advice have been active
 constantly in their effort to dis euadc others from the stand then
 faken, and ft has been an open
 secret that their move, coupled
 with current political develop
 ments. has met with some success.
 LONG WAY TO GO
 But among both democrats and re. publicans 1t is realized that the en- deavor to break down democratic re sistance still has a long way to go if it Is 10 succeed Sixty four votes are required to ratifv the treaty and. although thirty-four republicans voted for ratification In November. the party leaders are sure now of the support of only thirty. That leaves thirty-four to be delivered by the democrats, an even dozen more than the figure whica represented the peak of republican claims today.
 In the belief that time Is fighting lon their side the plan of the repnb llesn leaders is to first clear away coIlaferaT issqtts Of tte treaty d's4 agreement wllen tho subject come again befoye the Senate. probably to- morrow. 1he next reservation 10. 5a considered in the revision being un dertaken on the Senate floor is the troublesome qualification Of Article 1O asainst which the President has directed his principal criticism; but the republicans expect to ask that it be laid aside until all the others haye been acted on.
 Meantime, IL Is pointed out.
 democratic Senate caucus may
 have developed the real strength
 Of inc movement among demo
 cratic senators to brrak away front
 past policy of resistance and put the treaty tbrough. should mn-
 Iority of the forty-scvcn democrats
 vote In tie caucus 10 make such
 move, ft Is expected by the repub-
 IicanS that the effect would he fo
 bring over the votes needed for
 ratification. q
 MAY WITHDRAW TREATY ,In these calculations, however,
 tContirucd on Page Twc)