New-York tribune., 1920-02-21
Majority Sharply Resent
Hitchcock Charge That
They Baked Efforts
to Reach Compromise
Borah Calls Hope of
Agreement Futile
Resolution for Separate
Peace With Germany
Is Offered by Francis

From The Tribune's Washington Bureou
WASHINGTON, Feb 2O.-The
declaration of the New York Repub-
licans favoring ratification of the
peace treaty with Germany with
reservations caused the Senate to
resume consideration Of the pact to-
day. The action of the convention
has resulted in the treaty being in
jected into the Presidential cam
paign, whether it is ratified at an
early date or not, Senators declared.
Republican Senators in a speech
in the Senate challenged the SINGER
ity of Senator Hitchcock, leader Of
the Administration forces, in the
treaty fight, and he declined to deny
charge made by Senator Lenroot.
of Wisconsin, that his intention all
during the compromise negotiations
has been to "pick off" enough Repu5.
lican Senators to give him control
of majority Of the Senate and
then kill the treaty and place re-
sponsibility for the defeat of ratif-
cation upon the Republicans.
Separate Peace Sought
Senator France, Republican. Of
Maryland, one of the 'irreconcila-
bles," late to-day offered a resolu-
tion for a separate peace with Ger
many. The resolution declares the
existence Of state of peace and
provides for the holding Of an "in-
ternational conference" to be at
tended by representatives of all the
I countries represented at the Yer
sailles peace conference, to settle the
problems that confronted the Ver-
sailles conference The resolution
was referred to the Foreign Rela-
tions Committee.
Senator Hitchcock opened the dis
cussion to-day by declaring that the
Democrats in the Senate should be
given credit for the compromise efforts.
He referred to a newspaper story that
certain Republicans believed that he,
and probably the President, desired to
force the treaty into the campaign.
Il am not in position to speak for
the President, of course" said Senator
Hitchcock, "but I feel authorized to
say on behalf of Senators of the MI
nority that there is no disposition
among Democrats to delay ratification
of the treaty to make 1t a campaign
issue. 1t is almost the unanimous
wish of the Democratic Senators to se-
cure early ratification. They are will
ing to go more than half way for this
purpose and in agreeing over honor
reservations.
Delay Charged to Opponents
Daring consideration of the treaty
prior to November 19 supporters Of
the treaty made every effort to hurry
It's consideration. OF the amount con-
sumed in speeches they consumed only
u per cent, the opponents of the treaty
consuming nearly three and a half
times as much.
w hen the motion was made for re-
ccnslderation they supported it and
when the motion TO lay this on the
table was offered they opposed it, and
1T was the Republican Senators who
voted for the motion to table recon
sideratlon. lt.was on this side of the
chamber that the movement was
started for reviving the treaty and it
was from the other side that the an
swer came the treaty was dead and
could not be revived. 1t was on this
slde the movement originated to form
bipartisan conference committee Of
lew Senators to consider the subject
OF compromise, and it was the Demo-
Gratis IN that conference that made
every effort to secure compromise.
'On February IA, by authority Of
1orty Democratic Senators, I offered
20 accept as compromise either the
bipartisan committee reservation or the
laIt compromise on Article X.
Went the Limit, He Asserts
IF we had not shown a disposition
to compromise, to go halfway toward
an agreement, we might be charged
with design to delay ratification. but
we nave gone to the limit of compro-
ihise' we nave gone to the point where
to go further would be TO surrender.
we have gone to the point where the
reservation we suggest is admitted to
De put slight change from the Lodge
reservation.
Il would not have it understood I am
afraid Of this issue IN the campaign.
l am not. | believe that if it is forced
INTO the campaign it will be the dom
inans issue and that the people viii
decide 1t IN favor of the league of ma
tons and against the obstructionists.s
Senators Kellogg, of Minnesota, and
Lenroot, and Borah, of Idaho, chal-
lenged Senator Hitchcock to explain
the difference between the original
Lodge reservation to Article X and ths
two reservations the Democrats agreed
tn vote for. Senator Hitchcock replied
that the Dcnmcc1.cs already had gono
mine tenths of the way" to meet tha
Republicans in compromise.
Il am not disposed to analyze the
reservations" Senator Hitchcock cou-
tinued.
Senator Borah demanded to know
how much Republican support Senator
Hitchcock had expected for the ressr-
vations the Democrats proposed.
r. THAT Is not fair question from a