South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-17
SENATE REOPENS
PACT HEARINGS
Sen. Hitchcock Says G. o. P.
Wants Complete Demo-
cratic Surrender.

l'f A~~ofltl'l ITc.S
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1G.-Laying
aside its legislative business the sen
ate by unanimous consent, took up
the treaty of Versailles again today
and resumed i'm all its vigor the
ratification debate interruTt ted last
November.
The opening gun in the new phase
Of the dsht was fred by the treaty's
irrecOncilable foes. Sen. McCormick,
republican, Illinois, reopening the
discussion with a speech bitterly
assailing many provisions Of the
docum eut and counseiiing the repub-
lican leaders not TO consent to fur
ther compromise.
Hitchcock Talks
He was followed by Sen NcCum-
ber. republican. North Dakota. n
leader among the treaty's republican
friends. who fiayed the heads Of
both parties for their failure 10
compromise and declared that
"child's play obstinancy" alone
stood in the way OF ratification.
Drawn into the debate by the
charges of the North Dakota SEM
D.
the democratic leader. asserted that
the democrats already had "aban-
doned" their previous stand and
had offered compromise. but that
| the republicans were demanding
nothing short Of COMPLETE demo-
cratic surrender
Once il got under way. the debate
speedily revived the whole scale OF
issues which the senate had de-
bated from May TO November of
last year. The subject technically
under discussion, a motion by Sen.
Lodge. of Massa chusetts, to modify
the republican reservation on with
drawal. was not mentioned until late
in the day when Mr.. Lodge took the
floor TO explain briefly his reasons
for moving for the change.
Continue Negotiations.
When the debate was reopened
the private negotiations for a com
promise apparently passed into the
doldrums and some OF the treaty's
most active friends on both sides
of the chamber predicted there
probably would be no settlement un-
til discussion on the floor had spent
itself. The negotiations are ex-
pected to continue, however. and
some senators believe they may yet
bring an agreement that will permit
ratification.
Reinstatement Of the treaty as
the foremost subject Of senate con-
sideration was accomplished with
out a word OF debate and without
any more of the dramatic than
might attend the introduction of a
private PENSION bill. The only out
ward evidence OF the unusual was
the crowded gallery. where empty
seats had been in the majority for
many weeks but where scores stood
in line all OF today hopeful OF a
glimpse into the senate chamber.
Lodge Proposal
Acting under an agreement with
democratic leaders. Sen Lodge ask
ed unanimous consent that the
treaty be taken up and then present
ed the first OF the proposed reserva-
tion changes he made public last
week. His amendment would make
: the Withdrawal reservation stipulate
membership in the League of VA
! tions could be given "by The presi-
dent or by congress acting alone
whenever the majority OF both
houses may deem it necessary"
Most senator's wer, inclined 20
believe that il might be several days
| before action was reached on any
proposals 20 modify the Il rcpubli-
can reservation as they were
ADOPTED az 'he last session OF con-
/ grcss. Il was suggested that those
ON which there was no serious dis
| agreement probably would be dis
posed of first when the time FOR vot-
ing arrived, and that the dispute
over article TO- which promises to
| be tho biggest barrier 20 final
agreement would be left until the
last.