Evening star., 1920-03-09
PRESIDENTS ARTICLEX
DEFENSE FAILS TO END
PLANS FOR COMPROMISE
Continued from First Page.)

would weaken the full force Of article
X or otherwise materially impair the
provisions of the league covenant.
Without saying specifically what
qualification he would or would not ac-
cept, he wrote in a letter to Senator
Hitchcock. the administration leader,
that almost all Of the reservations he
had heard suggested were "in effect vir-
tual notifications" Of the treaty articles
to which they applied.
I hear of reservationists and mild
reservationists." the letter added, but
cannot understand the difference be-
tween a nullifier and mild nuilifier."
Discussing article x particularly. the
President wrote that there was mo es-
Gaping the moral obligations which are
expressed in positive terms In this ar
tic!e,' though there could be no objec-
tton to explaining In an Interpretation
the constitutional methods by which
such an obligation would have to be full
hlled. The very heart of the cove
nant. he reiterated, would be impertled
by weakening article x.
Reduced to Basic Issuea.
Limiting debate by unanimous con.
sent, the Senate moved swiftly yes
teroay to reduce its fight over the
peace treaty to basic issues.
The Presidents letter, coming at a
were declared by one Of their spon-
sors to have brought the two sides
very near together" was given wide-
ly differing interpretations. But the
democratic senators. working for a
compromise, continued their efforts,
telling their colleagues they felt free
10 act since the executive had not
seen mt to say he would pocket the
treaty II it came back to him with
compromise reservations.
In the days work on the Senate floor
the last Of the fourteen republican
reservations except those relating to
article x and league voting power
late on the voting power provision
was begun. The four adopted related
to ornaments. the economic boycott,
alien property and the labor section.
the aforementioned being brought to
roll call without a word of debate.
Doubt n to Ratification.
While the article X negotiations
reached point, il was said, where
the addition or omission Of only a
few words stood in the way of an
agreement. the leaders emphasized
that the last pull might prove the
hardest and minimized hope that
enough senators to insure ratification
would be brought into accord. 1t
also was pointed out that neither
senator Lodge nor Senator Hitchcock
,o1 Nebraska. the democratic leader,
had openly given assent to the neeo-
Aiations and that even if a bipartisan n
agreement were reached it might not
command a two-thirds vote.
Senator Hitchcock described the
Presidents letter as "illuminatinr". -.
Senator Lodge declined to discuss it,
and Senator Borah. republican, Idaho.
leader of the irreconcilable opponents a
OF ratification, said the President had
helped insure the treaty's defeat bv
throwing cold water on compromise.
Change in President's Stand.
Democratic senator's were quick to
see, however. that the President did
not advise them to vote against rati-
hcation. as he did last November, nor
promise to put the treaty in a White
House ptgeonhole IL 1t were rati-
ned with more than interpretive
reservations. In that respect they
contrasted 1t with his letter to the
November democratic caucus, when he
suggested that the treaty with the
republican reservations be voted
down.
1t has also been pointed out on the
democratic side that Mr. Wilson did
not center his objection on any spe-
cific form of reservation, and from
ters that he would take under protest
such compromise as now is under
negotiation.
The full text Of President Wilson,
setter will be found on page s.