Albuquerque morning journal., 1920-02-24
z DEMOCRATS
AGREE To QUIT
PRESIDENT AND
F.. RAT|FY TREATY
Members of Wilson's Party
Will Repudiate His Lead
erShip and Vote for Rati-
fiCation With Reservations
RESULT, HOWEVER,
STILL UNCERTAIN
While Sentiment Is Chang
ing Among Democratic
Senators More Votes Are
Needed to Put Matter Over

taY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED "'Hel
Washington. Feb. % (bv the AS
sociated Press. -Possibili tiles OF a
substantial break in the demo
senate impelled influential demo-
CIatic senators to move today for
n caucus to discuss a posslble
change in party policy, and revived
republican hopes that the treaty
might vet be ratified with the re-
publican reservations adopted at
the last session of congrCsss.
On the republican sitNF II was
asserted that the twenty-five dem
ocrats onlv few short of the num-
her required to insure ratltlcatloh'
rad signified willingness to quit the
lead of President Wilson and take
the republican reservation program
as it is. This total. administrator
chiefs declared exaggerated, but
thev considered We're that a vote
taken tomorrow on the republican
reservation, it would command
more than the seven democratic
Movement for a democratic
caucus may bring into the. open,
its sponsors believe. dissatisfaction
that has smouldered in some dem
ccratic quarters since the president
sent his memorable Letter to the
caucus of November 10 asking that
the senators of his party vote
against ratification on the basis of
the republican reservations. The
seven senators who disregarded his
advice have been active constantly
in their effort to dissuade others
from the stand then taken and 1t
has been an open secret that their
N owe, coupled with current politi-
cal DEVELOPMENTS, has met with
some success.
But among both democrats and
v pnhlicans it is realized that the
erdeavor to break democratic re-
sistance still has long way to go,
ii it is to succeed. SiXty-four votes
ere required to ratify the treaty
and although thirty-four republi-
''us voted for ratification in No
Vember, party leaders are sure now
Of the support of only thirty. That
leaves thirty-four to be delivered
bV the democrats. an even dozen
more than the figure which repre-
sented the peak of republican
cjaias today
in the belief that time is fighting
on their side the republican lead
ers' plan is to first clear away col
lateral issues of the treaty disa-
greement when the subject comes
up again before the senate, proba-
bly, tomorrow. The next reservation
to be considered in the revision be-
ing undertaken by the senate is the
oualifica ton of article ten. against
which the president has directed
his principal criticism; but the re-
publicans expect to ask that it be
laid aside until all others have
been acted on. Meantime. it is
pointed out. a democratic caucus
may have developed the real
strength of the movement among
democratic senators to break away
from policy of resistance and put
the treaty through. Should major
ity of the forty-seven democrats
vote in the caucus for such a move
that the effect would be to bring
over the votes needed for ratif1ca-
ton. In these calculations, how
ever neither side loses sight of the
possibility that the White House
may again use its influence to stiff
fen the backs of the administration
senators or that the president, may
If unacceptable ratification inn
pends. Withdraw the treaty from
senate consideration. He might
take the latter course, 1t Is suggest
ed, to express his displeasure with
senate reservations and his unWll-
come a party on any terms in the
Adriatic settlement. Neither is il
concealed that broad questions oi
party policy are involved in the
problem of ratification, now gen.
orally admitted by leaders to have
been thrust into the political CAM
paign. Privately. senators pressing
for acceptance of the republican
reservations confess themselves GU
of accord with the presidents Jack.
son day declaration for "solemr
referendum" and they are seek
ing to disassociate senate democrat!
from any appearance of endorsing
that proposal.
In the caucus, therefore, thi,
group is prepared to plead tina
the treaty be ratified on republican
specifications. so that the president
If he then chooses to regard tn,
senate's action as a rejection ant
to pocket the treaty, may hav,
upon his own shoulders the burdel
of decision which they do not be
lieve will be popular with the coun
try. With senate democrats goin.
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