The Washington herald., 1920-02-13
LODGEDEFIES
BITTER
In PACT FIGHT
Threat of Irreconcilable
Senators to Bolt His
Leadership Barred.
SOUGHT TO JOIN FOES
Two Members Reported to
Have Hinted Election
Of Hitchcock.
SOUGHT TO JOIN FOES

who have held over his head the threat
to bolt his leadership and do every
thing possible to defeat the treaty IL
he yielded any ground on his original
reservations, and II was understood
yesterday in quarters close to the
Lodge camp that the Massachusetts
member has practically agreed 20 yield
enough ground on Article y, the chief
stumbling block Of the treaty. to form
a compromise that will be acceptable
to the Democrats.
The story. Of some of the wire pull
lug eliminating in the events shat
have transpired this week and which.
IL Is believed. will result in the ratifi-
cation Of the pact at an ea!ly dase.
was told yesterday by mild reservs-
tior Senator and confirmed by one Of
the Democrats OF the Hitchcock group.
Bearded In His once.
On Monday, after Senator Lodge
had succeeded in getting the treaty
called up and referred to the For
eign Relations Committee. two ire
concilable Senators. one of whom
was understood to have been SEN
ator Sherman, of Illinois. bearded
the Republican leader in his office
and declared that II he gave his
assent to any change in the original
reservations the entire irreconcilable
group would bolt the Republican
leadership in the Senate and go over
to the Democrats. These two ir-
reconcilable Senators are said to
have told the Massachusetts leader
they would not only give the Demo-
Gratis a majority in the Senate, but
would vote to place Hitchcock in
Lodges place as majority leader and
would even go so far as to elect a
Democratic President pro tenn. They
would. according to the version of
the affair told yesterday, completely
disrupt the present organization OF
the Senate and help the Democrats
gain control.
Senator Lodge is said to have
spared for time. promising to take
the matter up later in the day. In
the meantime prominent mild
reservationist communicated the ul-
timatum of the irrecocilabIes to the
Democrats. A leading Administra-
ton Democrat Immediately went to
Senator Lodge and informed him
the Democrats had no desire to
gain control Of the Senate in such
fashion: that if they could not con-
troll the Senate organization by nu-
merical strength they did not want
control. Senator Lodge then, it is
understood. gave his answer to the
irreconcilabIes, pointing out 20
them that certain changes in the
treaty were unavoidable and that
the treaty must be ratified If pos
sible.
No Intention TO DispIace Him.
1t was said yesterday that the
irreconciIables really had no inten-
tion of carrying out their threat
to displace Lodge. but hoped to
cow him into submission by inti-
nations that they would go over
en- mssse to the Democratic side,
thus destroying the Republican
leadership in the Senate and at the
same time dealing a lethal blow
to the party's chances for victory
at the polls this autumn.
This was the second ultimatum
irreconcilables in their efforts to
have Lodge stand by his original
reservations. in the belief that such
a position on the part Of the Re
publican leader would so incense
the Democratic members as to in
sure a combined Democratic and
IirreconcilabIe vote sufficient to de-
feat the treaty.
The day following the reported
clash between the Lodge forces
and the bitter enders." Senator
Lodge formally introduced in the
Senate eight changes in his orig
inal fourteen reservations. agreed
upoa in the bipartisan confer
ences. which terminated with the
first threat of mutiny from the ir-
now the bone of contention which
reconcilable camp. Article y is
more than anything else will de-
lay the pact's ratification. but so
certain are many Republican Sem
ators that Senator Lodge clearly
senses the danger lying in any ac-
tion that would tend further to
delay the treaty or defeat its rati-
fication that the belief was freely
expressed yesterday that he will
yield on this point when the treaty
finally comes up for debate. One
Repu ublican Senator declared Lodge
has already agreed to compromise
on Article y.
Senator Hitchcock says he cannot
support the original Lodge reservation
on Artile X nor the substitute pro-
posed by the mild reservationists and
Tentatively approved by Senator
Lodge. The Nebraska leader said yes
terdsy that in his opinion very few
Democrats would support either prop
osition. The basis for compromise on
practically all reservations except Ten
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