The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-02-07
REP PUBL|CANS To
OPEN DEBATE ON
PEACE TREATY
Decide to Take Initiative on
Modified Reservations
DIFFERENCES NARROWED
Movement on Foot to Put President al
Candidates on Record Regard
Ing Treaty

Washington, Feb 6.-The modified
Lodge reservations, agreed on tenta-
lively by the recently abandoned BIZ
partisan committee, most likely will
be the basis on which cons deration
OF the peace treaty will be resumed
next week
Republ can leaders, after a series
Of conferences, with their party col
leagues today decided to take the
init ative on the Senate floor in sug-
gesting adoption of the bipartisan
committees modf cations of the Lodge
rese yations. Although 1t Is expected
under the dec sion that the original
Republican reservations VIII be at
tached to the treaty when 1t Is re-
ferred to the foreign relations COM
mittee, It is understood Senator
Lodge WI present the modified draft
as a substitute after the committee
has reported. Definite decis on as
to whether the Democ ats would ac-
cept the reseryat ons with these
changes will not be reached, 1t was
said, today, until tomorrow's con-
ference OF Democratic friends OF the
treaty and perhaps not then. The
general opinion preva led however
that the changes worked out in the
unoffic al committee negotiat ons
would prove satisfactory to a majority
of Democratic senate 9.
Acceptance OF the bipartisan modi
fcations by both Republicans and
Democrats was considered as likely
to narrow differences to few OF
the prom nent issues
In some quarters it was pred cted
that agreement would be reached tn.
out much delay on all but two of the
fourteen reservations proposed for in.
corpo at on in the ratification. These
two relate to article ten and the Mon,
roe Doctrine
There are many senators on both
sides OF the chamber who predict that
some agreement eventually will be
reached. This view Is not shared by
the group OF irreconciliables oppos ng
the treaty who held numerous confer
ences du Ing the day and meet again
tomorrow in their campaign to secure
the defeat of ratif eaton. II is ex-
pected that they will present some
amendments to the treaty itself and
VIII Insist on debating fully all of the
propos tions put before the Senate.
No session of the Senate II be held
tomorrow and most of the day is ex.
pected to be given over to conferences
among the various Senate elements
over their plans of procedure.
In pursuance Of his plan of putting
all p- es dent al candidates on record
i'll regard TO the treaty, Senator Borah.
an irreconcilable, today sent ques.
tionairre on the subject to Governor
James NJ. Cox OF Ohio, a Democrat.
He wrote:
/ observe in the press reports
this morning your attack upon the
Republ can senate for DELAYING
ahe ratification of the peace treaty.
am not clear from the report.
however, as to your exact position
infer from your statement that
you are in favor of rat.fying the
treaty of peace with the league of
nations Incorporated just as 1t
came ON Versa lies and as II was
SuDm tleu TO the Senate.
Are you in favor of entering the
league with article ten in il with.
out any change or modification
thereof or without and reservation
as to the obligation OF the United
States in regard thereto?
understand from your speech
that you are thoroughly in favor
OF the league. which g yes the Brit.
ish empi six votes to the United
States one. Am correct in so
constituting your position
Are you opposed to permitting
the question Of whether or not we
shall become a member of the
league to be submitted to the peo-
pie in any way? lf you are not
opposed to submitting It to the
peop'e, may ask In what way YOU
would suggest that It be submit.
ted