Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1920-03-09
DEMOCRATS SEEK
PRESIDENTS VIEWS
WANT HIS ADVICE ON coMPRo.
MISE CONDITION BEFORE FL
NAL VOTE is TAKEN
SEN. SIMMONS TO MEET HIM
Intlmated That Senators From Both
Political Parties Eventually Might
Meet With the President in Eff
fort to Reach Compromise

Washington. March with another
failure to ratify the peace treaty Inn
pending, Democratic senator's decided
yesterday to seek personal consulta-
ton with President Wilson before the
decisive vote is taken. They wished
to know definitely how far he would
go in endorsing compromise, and also
to have clear understanding of his
views on the treaty as campaign is
sue should another senate deadlock
force it into politics.
Some Democrats were understood
also to wish to know what measures
the president would expect congress
to take to relieve the country from
war status while a decision at the
polls on the treaty was awaited.
The move for such a conference,
initiated long ago among some ele-
ments of the party in the senate, took
definite form when Senator Hitchcock
of Nebraska, the administration leader,
sent letter to the White House ask
ing that the president talk over the
senate situation with Senator Sim
mons of North Carolina, in charge for
the Democratic side of the new move
ment to negotiate a treaty compromise.
IT was indicated, however, that the
appointment with Senator Simmons,
if one was arranged would be only
preliminary to a conference with a
committee of senators chosen to take
up with him the whole treaty prob
lem. In some quarters it was init
mated that senators from both politi-
cal parties eventually might meet
with the president in an effort to reach
compromise.
In conjunction with Senator Watson
of Indiana, acting for the Republican
side, Senator Simmons has sounded out
the sentiment of all the senate ele-
ments and when he goes TO the White
House. will be in possession of clear
understanding of what the Republicans
would accept. Senator Hitchcock's let
ter did not reach the executive Of
fices until late in the day and no word
regarding the presidents intention was
| forthcoming from the White House last
night. 1t was indicated, however, that
an appointment probably would be
made either today or early next week.
The new negotiations have centered
about Article X, the hardest nut to
crack in the treaty controversy, but
such progress has been made that the
outcome is regarded by many senators
as depending now on the verdict of the
president. Democratic senators do not
want to vote for ratification which the
president later would reject, nor dc
they want to turn down any reason
able offer of compromise unless they
are certain it is satisfactory to him
AS the Article X. compromise pro
posaI now shapes up in the Watson
Simmons negotiations, it is understood
to contemplate a reservation declar
ing that the United States declines tC
guarantee the territorial integrity OF
other league members by means of its
army or navy by a boycott or any
other method of commercial force, OF
by diplomatic pressure, except wher
congress gives specific and affirma
tive authority for such a course.
The new move claimed the lions
share of attention during the day while
the senate debate continued.