New-York tribune., 1920-03-09
U. S. Fully Protected by
V er b a | Stipulations
Made by Him in Paris,
He Assures Hitchcock
Article X Declared
Bulwark of League
Senators View Action as
Move to Make Covenant
Dominant 1920 Issue
By Carter Field

By Carter Field
From The Trfbune's Washington Bureos
WASHINGTON, March 8. =
President Wilson to-day refused the
request Of Senator Hitchcock, Ad-
ministration leader, that he discuss
with Democratic Senators reserva-
tions to Article X on which they
hoped compromise was possible.
The President declared that while
he heard of reservationists and mild
reservaticnists, he could not "under-
stand the difference between a nulli-
fer and mild nullifier.''
In letter to the leader of the Ad-
ministration forces in the treaty
fight, President Wilson reiterated
his opposition to any weakening of
Article X by reservations which
would perpetuate the old order"
every imperialistic influence in
Europe was hostile to the embodi-
ment of Article x in the covenant"
the letter said
The President said that through
out the Paris conference the French
militarists were seeking to gain the
ascendancy in the counsels of
France, and although defeated then
"they are in control now" ''For my
own part" continued the President,
II am as intolerant of imperialistic
designs on the part of other nations
as I was Of such designs on the part
of Germany"
ALI Factions Lose Hope
Leaders Of all factions in the Sen
ate tonight were absolutely hope
less of ratification. 1t was evident
that enough Democratic Senators
would stand by the President.
when added to the "irreconcilables"
to kill the treaty.
Seven Senators who recently had
voted to accept the Lodge proposals
Topped back to the Administration
side after reading the Presidents
letter. These were Senators Beck
ham, Trammell, Nugent, Pittman.
Chamberlain, Kirby and Phelan.
The Administrator strength in
resisting the four Lodge reserva
tions approved to-day ranged from
26 to %, as compared with
strength of from II to % last week.
Senate Shocked by Stand
The Presidents letter was pro-
found shock and surprise to the Senate.
The "irreconcilables" were delighted.
assured at last that the constant nego-
tiations which have been under way
looking to some compromise We're made
futile. The strong Administration
Senators were dsmayed. Senator
Hitchcock was hopeless. Senator King,
of Utah, confessed disappointment. The
so-called mild Yeservationists," who
were on the verge Of revolt against
the Lodge program and who actually
had threatened yeste erday, at a meet
ing at the residence of Senator. lodge
to desert the Republicans and go over
TO the Hitchcock camp in order to OBJ
into the ntiAdmnistration camp and
fenced in.
They were particularly incensec at
being called mild nullifiers." Senator
Kellogg, who several times in the ,-.st
week has read the riot act to Senator
Lodge on the floor of the Senate, die
tated statement not very different
from the comments of the 'irrecon-
cilables."
All "Foes" of Treaty
What chiefly amazed the Senate
seemed to be the Presidents stanc
that from his point of view 'mjld
reservationist" like Senator Kellogg or
McNary was as real foe of the treaty
as Senators Reed and Borah. 1t was this
touch to the letter that frightened the
group of Dem ocrats hack into the Ad-
ministration camp and led to their vot-
ing against the Lodge reservations.
Another sore point with the so-called
mild .reservationists' was the Presi-
dents reference, rather contemptuous
in their opinion, to those who sought
to make clear that Congress must act
before the army or navy should be
used TO guarantee territorial integrity
of some foreign nation. These Sena-
tors did not like the Presidents state.
ment that such comments were listened
to at Paris with Indifferent silence. ~
such men listen to what is matter
of course, and was not necessary te
say"
Republican Senator'S construed two
sentences of the letter as statement
that unless Article X is adopted intact.
it would have been better il the United
States never had entered the war. Car
rying the idea further, in conjunction
with the often expressed idea that Ger
many would have won the war if the
United States had not entered it, they
construe it as a statement that it would
have been better for Germany to have
won the war than Tor the United Stst.r
now to refuse to approve tho tr.st.