Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-20

this time Not only did the Senate vote
its rejection by seven more votes than
were required but passed resolution
returning the document to the President.
So it is no longer before the Senate and
nothing more can be done until, or unless,
it is resubmitted by the President.
There is no information on which to
base a guess as to the possibility of this
contingency tits even doubtful If tn
President has definitely decide what he
will do with it.
At one time during the acrimonious
controversy between the White House
and the Senate majority he threatened to
send Messrs. Lodge and Knox to Ger
many to negotiate a treaty II the one be
brought to them should be rejected, and
while this was taken at the time as n
sardonic bit of sarcasm, something oi the
sort Is now an actual possibility
RAT1FIc ALTON REJEcTE, 40 TO 35.
The vote of rejection today was 40 TO
35. To ratify the treaty with eighty-four
members present would have taken vote
OF 56 to 3S. 1t was rejected the first time,
on November 10 last, Al to 81. Then but
seven Democrats voted for the treaty
plus the Lodge reservations. Tonight
lwenty-one Democrats voted with Lodge.
Twenty-three Democrats and twelve Re
publican irreconcilables made up the total
that rejected the treaty.
The motion to send the treaty back to
the President WAS rushed through IN order
10 insure that it should be out of the
Senate definitely.
1t served its purpose directly as well as
Indirectly, for motion to reconsider
the rejection of the treaty, made by
Robinson OF Arkansas, was ruled out OF
order on the objection that the vote
h, "a n To
House gave possession of it TO the Presl-
dent and the Senate could not act on
something that was no longer before 1t.
Promptly the effort was made 10 get to
work on the Knox resolution that aims
10 declare peace with Germany-with-
out the formality of a treaty-an ex-
peiient the legality and practicallty OF
which are questioned on both sides OF
the Senate; but Lodge, worn out by the
strain of years struggle with hardly
any internission, threw IN a petulant
motion to adjourn until Monday, and
that went through, though a previous
attempt at adjournment while the treaty
question still had lie in it was defeated.
NO CERTAINTY OF REJECTION.
The end of the treaty came with dramat-
{ suddenness after q day of ImpassIoned
speeches on the Senate floor and equally
mpassioned conferences IN the cloak
rooms.
There was no certainty up TO the mo-
ment OF the voting that the treaty would
e beaten finally All day long rumors
we're flying that the supporters of the
President were weakening and that var
ous Administration members had been
converted. The names of the supposed
converts were mysteriously concealed.
As fast as one was mentioned the subject
denied the story as applied to him.
Hitchcock, chief of the Administra-
fion forces, remained apparently unper-
tlIrbed bv the disaffectiOn runors. He
said at the opening OF the proceedings
that the minimum of votes IN excess OF
the number requisite to reject the treaty
would be four. The outcome showed three
more than this number.
II was as exciting day as has been
seen In the Senate since the declaration
If war. Every gallery seat was filled, the
spare space back of the Senators desks
was thronged with House members
all were prepared to stay until midnight,
for the indications were that a vote
would not be reached until the Senate
was talked out.
SPEAKING ENDED SUDDENLY.
A dozen OF them had speeches TO make
st O clock. when Senator Owen conclgd-
I'd his appeal to his fellow-Democrats 10
ioin him In voting for ratification. Owen
was the last of series of Democrats who
spoke In this strain. In succession
Ransdell, Walsh of Montana, Pomerene,
Myers and Hoke Smith had made their
appeal Nobody representing the other
side of the Democratic position had been
heard. though Reed. Hitchcock and others
were waiting their turn.
Lodge had listened TO the oratory-the
most impressive element OF which was the
address OF Walsh OF Montana. whose
argument was that, though he dishked
the Lodge reservation even success IN the
November election would not enable the
Democrats 10 get a better treaty-wlth
illconcealed impotence.
He finally stepped over TO the Demo-
cratic side and made a proposition that il
the minority would call il enough, his side
of the chamber would refrain from further
speechmaking. Two minutes Of whisper
ing fixed IL, the Senate bell sounded for
a roll call the seats filled up the pending
question Immediately was put and the
fatefuI call began.
There were no surprises. The estimates
made were realized, the forebodings and
tales of secret understandings were dis
proved.
There was one interesting story Of
precautionary e3DeOlenL5 tiidJ came Oh
after the voting A favorite fable was
that a number of Democrats sufficient
to ratify the treaty had agreed TO switch
when the question was reconsidered. This
story interested the irreconciibles, but
it developed that they had at fewest two
votes in reserve, who if the Democrats
switched would leave the Lodge ranks
and vote with the battalion OF death. The
reserve forces are not named but they
were to come from the group composed of
Wadsworth, Freylinghuysen. Sutherland,
Ball and Calder So the treaty stood no
chance of ratification at any time.
Senator Lodge was on his feet when
the result was announced and promptly
offered q resolution sending the treaty
back 20 the President with a notification
that the Senate did not advise and con
sent TO its ratiications." This was adopted
AZ TO 81
The resolution follows:
THAT the Secretary OF Senate be IN
structed 10 return TO the President the
treaty of peace with Germany signed at
Versailles on the 26th day OF June 1919,
and respectfully inform the President
that the Senate has refused to advise and
consent to its ratification, being unable
to obtain the constitutional majority
required therefor"
MOVE TO RECONSIDER rATLs.
A motion to reconsider the vote by
which the treaty was rejected was made