New-York tribune., 1920-02-08
Two Lodge
Points Also
Accepted
Consent Is Given to MOdi-
fcatiOn of Clauses on
u. S. Withdrawal From
League and Mandates
Views Disclosed in
Letter to Hitchcock
Party Leaders Confused
by Statement; See 1t
as a Conciliatory Move

dS d NOuCludtOIy NAOEO
From The Tribxne's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.-Presi-
dent Wilson to-day threw the treaty
situation in the Senate into confu-
sion by instructing the Democratic
Senators to oppose Republican pro-
posals for a reservation on Article
X Of the league of nations covenant.
Article x has been the stumbling
block in the path of ratification. The
President told the Democrats that
he is opposed to any reservation on
the article in which the territorial
integrity and political independence
Of any nation is guaranteed by the
league, under which the United
States assumes no obligation, even
though it is provided that the obli-
CATION shall be assumed if Congress
so shall decide.
Accepts Five Reservations
President Wilson, however, for the
first time since the controversy over
the treaty began, announced his
willingness to accept certain spe-
cific reservations. He said he would
accept the five interpretive" reser-
vations proposed by Senator Hitch
cock and which were defeated in the
Senate on November 10 by a vote
Of so to Al, and also the Lodge
reservation on mandates and the
Lodge reservation on withdrawal,
modified SO that Congress would be
required to adopt joint instead Of
a concurrent resolution before the
United States could withdraw, in
order that the President would have
an opportunity to pass upon it.
AS result Of the Presidents advice
on the Article x reservation the treaty
will be called up for reconsideration in
the Senate on Monday without any as
surance from the Democrats that they
will support the results Of the ne4o-
tiations they conducted with the Re-
publicans after the treaty failed of
ratification in the Senate on Novem-
Der 10.
Position Defined in Letter
The Presidents attitude toward res
ervations was disclosed in a letter
sent to Senator Hitchcock on January
26, four days before the bipartisan
conferences at which compromise was
sought on reservations broke up, and
several days before Viscount Grey
British Ambassador to the United
States, sent his letter to "The London
Times" declaring THAI the Lodge res
ervations would be acceptable to Great
Britain.
The letter was read to twenty-eight
Democratic Senators who met in a eau
Gus to-day to discuss what they would
do when Senator Lodge brought the
treaty before the Senate. After hear
ing the letter the Democratic Senator'S
three hours and then disbanded, after
unanimously deciding to support Sem
ator Lodges move to have the treaty
reconsidered.
Senator Hitchcock, of Nebraska, and
Senator Underwood, of Alabama, ex-
planned later that the Democrats could
not plan their course of action because
they did not know whether Senator
Lodge would propose notifications of
his reservations when the treaty is be-
fore the Senate again. The caucus
to-day decided to leave each Demo-
cratic Senator free to vote the way
he desires.
Conciliatory Spirit Seen
Both Senator Lodge and Senator
Hitchcock declared that the President
in his letter showed a disposition to
make concessions. "The President
shows spirit of conciliation," was
Senator Hitchcock's comment
Senator Lodge would not discuss Il
formally, but he expressed the opinion
that the President showed he was ready
to yield on some disputed pointa,
Despite the date Of the letter the opin-
ion was expressed that it contained the
views President Wilson holds to-day
on the treaty.
After Senator Hitchcock had read
the letter to the Democratic Senators
IN the caucus he telephoned the White
House and received permission to make
the letter public. The action of the
President in consenting to its publica-
tion now WAS regarded as an iteration
OF the statements contained in the let
ter.
When the letter was read to the Sem
ators at the caucus they could not at
first clearly understand what the Presi-
dent meant. They asked Senator Hitch
cock to read 1t again. and .o-night many
Democratic Senators are still confused
40 to the exact position of the Presi-
dent.
Hitchcock Issues Statement
In making the letter public Senator
Hitchcock issued the following state
ment OF explanation:
The Presidents letter, dateo
January 26, was called forth hv
letter which I wrote him ON the
evening Of the day nswhich the
bipartisan conference N Senate,
Lodges Office came SO near r.
agreeing 70 = xsaAxvation %