Evening star., 1920-01-12
WILSON AND BRYAN
SPLIT WILL HURRY
PACT RATIFICATION
If Senate Agrees on Final
Form President Will
Pass 1t On.

A number Of democratic senators
received telegrams today from
William ]. Bryan urging ratifica-
ton OF the treaty SO the United
states could enter the league Of
nations by the time the league
council holds it's first meeting next
FRIDAY. The telegram follows:
very earnestly hope that it
may be possible to secure an
agreement on the reservations and
resolution of ratification before
next Friday so that our nation can
enter the league of nations at it's
nrst session on January 16, The
JOY OF the American people would.
1 am sure, be as universal as it
was when the armistice was
'signed."
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
It's an i'll wind that blows no good.
ana, surveying the situation created
oy the expressed difference of opin-
ION between President Wilson and
William Jennings Bryan on making
the treaty campaign issue, there is
no doubt that the total effect has
been to hasten rather than retard eff
forts toward ratification of the pact.
Several things have combined to
sise stimulus in Washington to
the movement for ratification. One is
the news from abroad telling of the
exchange of ratifications between the
allies and Germany and the establish
ment'aof the ~feague of nations Far
from being a document that can now
be revised and reframed to meet the
wishes of American senator's it is
now choice between American par
Iticipation or isolation, and more than
two-thirds of the Senate favor our
joining the partnership that is to
govern the peace of the world. The
fact that the United States is outside
for the time being while other ma
tions are going ahead with the job of
operating the peace treaty has
brought certain reaction. Nobody
pened - not even the battalion Of
DEATH" as the senators have been
called who favor the absolute rejec-
ton of the league, can look with sat
iSfaction on the uncertainty that has
arisen abroad concerning the true in
| tent of America in foreign policy
Feel Bryan Hit Nail ON the Head.
The situation in the Senate resolves
itself into this: Democrats are even
more active than before in trying to
/ get a compromise. Many republicans
| are working harmoniously with them
! to reach an agreement on the reserva- =
| tions. No new-found reverence for the
views of William Jennings Bryan is
! responsible for the attitude of the
, hit the nail on the head in his jack
| son day speech. and that he sized
/ up public opinion accurately. AS for
| the letter written by President Will
son, his friends still insist that it is
not up to the President to take the
| initiative in the compromise process
and that he would stultify himself
before foreign governments if, after
| signing contract with them, he
| openly receded from his position be-
| fore the Senate acted. They declare
| that whenever an American program
/ come the duty of the President to
argue in favor of acceptance of those
| reservations and that he must clearly
! demonstrate to foreign governments
| that he kept his own pledge in work
] ing for the unqualified adoption of the
/ ratified without reservations and Mr.
| Wilson must go before them with a
plea for changes because while the
! preamble of the treaty is going to
! be modified to eliminate the necessity
| of a formal exchange of notes be-
tween the allies and America on the
reservations, the United States gov
eminent will be obliged to obtain
nevertheless, the acquiescence of the
powers.
President Must Back Senate Acts.
Mr.. Wilson will be required through
the Secretary of State to plead fol
reservations or interpretations adopt
ed by the Senate. If these constitute
in effect a rejection of the treaty the
allies would refuse to exchange rati-
fications with the United States. The
changes that are now being discussed
in the compromise converSat ions are
| designed to make it possible for for
eign powers to accept Americas sig.
nature without debate. The President
has heretofore said that when the
! reservations are adopted by the Sen
ate he must know whether the Senate
has ratified or rejected the treaty. Il
is possible for him not to decide tina
| question himself but to put 1t square
ly before the European powers. On
hears in the Senate corridors mucf
l talk about the impossibility of com
promise until Mr.. Wilson says tina
he will accept or reject. Those wht
don't want to do business with th'
democrats of the compromising sor
insist on written credentials from th'
President himself; This is well nlgl
impossible, but the democratic sen
ators know that if the reservations d.
not nullify the provisions of tn
treaty of course the President will
accept them. They are going ahea'
on that assumption. and in seeking
TO fix the responsibility. not for wha
has happened in the treaty debate il
the past, but in the present. it will b.
interesting to watch how far the re
publican leaders go in insisting tina
MIR. Wilson underwrite everything tn
democratic senators offer in the wa,
of a compromise.
one thing is clear: Mr.. Wilson will
not be a party to the compromise ne
gotiations, but once a compromise i!
effected and the treaty is adopted b,
the Senate with reservations satisfac
tory to two-thirds of the membership
! of the Snpnte. II is An ODpp secret tha
Mr.. Wilson will pass the document OF