Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-29
HOPE now
FOR COMPROMISE
PrepOnderance of Senate Opinion
on Eve of What May Be Final
Bipartisan Conference Is Pes
simistic
A PROBABLE DEADLOCK
Article Ten md Monroe Doctrine the
Stumbling BIocks-If To-day's Ne
gotiations Fail Democrats VIII Take
Treaty Fight Back TO Senate

Washington, Jan. 2s.-Preponderance Of
Senate opinion on the eve of another,
and perhaps final bipartisan conference
of republican and democratic leaders was
that deadlock had been reached making
agreement very unlikely at this time on
compromise peace treaty reservations.
Reservations to article ten and for
preservation of the Monroe doctrine
promised to be the center of variance be-
tween the leaders of the two factions at
to-morrow's meeting and it appeared that
should break come it would result from
inability to agree on these two points.
Should the bipartisan conferences, which
have been in progress for more than two
weeks be abandoned, influences at work
in both political parties. it was asserted
to-day, in some quarters, undoubtedly
would have strong effect ultimately in
the direction Of a compromise which
would keep the treaty out of the POLITICAL
campaign.
Article ten and the Monroe Doctrine.
it became known to-day. were the only
subjects on which tentative agreement
has not been reached by the bipartisan
committee. Much of the language of
the republican reservations adopted last
session has been agreed to by the demo-
Gratis, ii was revealed. while many
changes had been conceded by the re-
publicans and two of the reservations
had been rewritten entirely.
Among the changes approved by the
committee We're the following:
Modification Of the preamble so that
instead Of requiring specific affirmative
acceptanccs of the reservations by three
of the four other great powers. such
acceptances would be taken for granted
1.., obi zion,
tion of the ratification by the United
States.
Qualification of the reservation on vot-
ing strength in the league so the United
States would not be bound. except in
cases where it previously had given it's
assent, by decisions in which any MEM
Der had more than one vote In the re-
publican reservation this exception was
omitted.
Change of the withdrawal reservation
to make it provide that notice of with
drawal from membership in the league
shall be given by a joint resolution Of
Congress instead of may be given by
concurrent resolution" \ joint resolution
requires the signature of the President
while concurrent resolution ordinarily
does not.
Deetion of direct referenc- 20 Japan
ton so the United states simply would
withhold assent TO the Shantung articles.
and reserve liberty of action in any
dispute arising under them.
Complete re-adjustng Of two of the
reservations so they would repuiro that
no representative to the league he ap-
pointed without Congressional authoriza-
ton and that no recommendation Of the
league regarding armameuts would be
valid until approved by Congress.
Numerous notifications Of language in
others of the II reservations That pro-
viding that the United States would ac-
cept no mandatory except by Congress
sional action was one of those, However,
remaining intact.
The sticking point on the Monroe doc
trne reservation came when the demo-
Gratis proposed to strike out a provision
that the doctrine should be interpreted
by the United States alone. while the
article ten impasse was reached on a
democratic proposal to make the exemp-
ton from the articles obligations apply
only TO use of the nations armed forces.
1t was when the whole negotiations had
been sifted down to these two PROPOSE
tions that the republicans served their
notice that they would not agree to any
compromise on the two reservations af-
fected.
Should the bipartisan negotiations COL
lapse at tomorrow meeting, democratic
leaders expect to try to bring the treaty
into the open Senate for debate. Senator
Hitchcock of Nebraska, acting adminis-
tration leader. said to-day however. tina.
he probably would make no such move for
ten days or two weeks.