New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-02
Leaders Purpose to Talk
the Knox Resolution tn
Death When 1t Comes
Up ON Floor Wednesday
League and Treaty
Their Amendments
Votes Are Pledged to Pass
Me asure; Five Minority
Senators Support Il,
Special Dispatch to The Tribun.

Special Dispatch to The Tribune
WASHINGTON, May 1. Leaders of
the Administration forces in the SEN
ate, including Senator Hitchcock. of
| Nebraska, who will have direct charge
of the fight against the Knox peace
resolution, and Senator Underwood. the
recently elected minority leader, are
preparing to make an effort to filibus-
ter the resolution TO death in order
to save President Wilson from the
necessity of having to veto it.
A poll Of the Senate to-day disclosed
that the measure is assured of a suf
ficent number of votes for it's passage.
Only one Republican, Senator McCum-
per, or North Dakota, will oppose it,
1he other mild reservationists having
hnally agreed to vote for the resolu-
tion.
Five Democratic Senators already
have signifed their intention of ioin
ing with the Republicans in supporting
the measure and the sponsors of the
resolution expect several other Demo
Gratis to join with them before a vote
is reached.
The five Democrats who have an
the President on the resolution are
Senators Reed, of Missouri; Walsh. of
massachusetts,; NJ Shields, of Tennessee;
myers, OF Montana, and Gore, of Okla
homa. AS only majority vote is re-
qulred for passage of the resolution,
their votes would assure passage by a
vote of SO to 43.
senators Hitchcock and Underwood
nave abandoned hope of winning enough
feat 1T on rollcall and although both
leaders veclare they have had no direct
word from the White House concerning
the PRESIDENTS plans they are prepar-
ing tor the struggle over the resolution
on the assumption that the President
will veto it if the Senate passes it and
the House Of Representatives accepts it
IN its amended form, and it is then sent
to the White House for the Presidents
approval
The fight over the resolution prom
ises to be repetition Of the fight over
ratification of the Versailles Treaty,
with the Democratic leaders and most
of the Democratic Senators prepared to
take any steps to save the President
from possible embarrassment
The decision to attempt to filibuster
the resolution to death was made after
the poll to-day disclosed that the Ad-
mnistra lion followers could not pre-
vent passage of the measure if a roll
call is reached.
carefully organized filibuster will
be launched immediately after Senator
Knox, of Pennsylvania, opens the
struggle over the resolution with a
long prepared address in the Senate
Wednesday.
AS part of their plan to "talk to
death" the peace measure Senators
Hitchcock and Underwood are planning
to have the Versailles Treaty and the
league of nations covenant with the
Lodge reservations attached, offered as
an amendment to the resolution.
They hope by that means to place
the Republicans in the embarrassing
position of having to vote against rati-
tication Of the treaty with the reserva-
tions they supported and to drive the
irreconcilable Republicans away from
the resolution or to vote against the
resolution with the treaty and the
league covenant attached.
Republican leaders stated to- day,
however that the treaty could not be
brought up again in the Senate in such
a manner. Should Vice President Mar
shall rule that the treaty could so be
called up, they added, the Senate could
not consider the treaty except in eX-
ecutive session, while the peace resolu-
tion, which is legislation, will be con-
sidered in regular open session. mo-
ton would have to be made to 60 into
executive session, they said. and such
motion could be defeated by the ma
jority of Senators who already are
lined up in support of the resolution.
The Knox resolution will provoke a
bitter struggle within the ranks of the
Democrats. along the same lines as the
division occurred on the Democratic side
during the fight over the treaty.
Senator Walsh, Of Massachusetts, is
leading the fight for the resolution
among the Democrats. The four other
Democratic Senators whose votes he
has secured for the resolution so far
include two irreconcilable opponents of
the Versailles Treaty. and the votes
of two Senators who supported the
Republican efforts to secure the adop-
tion of strong reservations to the
treaty.
Senator Thomas, of Colorado, the
third Democratic irreconcilable op-
ponent of the treaty, has not indicated
how he will vote on the peace reso-
luton, and Senator Smith, of Georgia,
who went along with the Republicans
and was one Of the principal advocates
of bolt away from the Presidents
leadership in the treaty fight, said to-
day that he has not decided whether
or not he will support the resolution.
Senator Smith to-day introduced a
bill in the Senate providing. for the
termination of w"r-time legislation.