The Washington times., 1920-01-28
Wilson Turns to Underwood
Plan to Obtain Ratifica-
ton of Treaty.
FEAR PACT IN CAMPAIGN
Senate Leaders Also Afraid OF
"Irreconci|abIes" in Debate
on Floor.

President wilson now IS 1aVor-
ing the appointment of concilia-
ton committee to adjust treaty
differences in the Senate, it was
announced at the White House to-
day.
The President will give his sup
port to the proposition put forth
by Senator Underwood some weeks
ago for the Senate to appoint
committee Of ten and charge that
committee with reaching COM
promise on the treaty.
II the informal bipartisan con-
ference tomorrow does not reach
q compromise it is expected that
the President will ask Administra-
ton Senators to move for the ap-
pointment of a formal conciliation
committees. y ~ sz--7>ss
Fear Treaty In Campaign.
Two primary reasons for an early
agreement on the Lodge reservations
. were pressing hard today on both the
Republican and Democratic leaders
OF the Senate.
The first was their desire to pre-
vent the Peace Treaty from being
flung back into the midst of another
long drawn-out debate on the Senate
floor. The second is strong disfn-
clination of both to have the treaty
thrust into the campaign.
"IrreeonciIables- Want Debate.
Nothing better than the reopening
Of debate on the Senate floor would
be asked by the little group of Re
publican and Democratic 'irreconcil-
| ables." They would then stand a
better chance Of averting success
| full conclusion of the negotiations for
a compromise between Senator'S OF
| both parties who are seeking ratihca-
| tion.
Two of them, Johnson of California
and Poindexter of Washington, who
are waging a campaign as aVowed
Presidential aspirants opposed to the
Senate accepting the treaty under
any condition, would welcome an op-
portunity to deliver more speeches
| in the Senate on the issue of "Ameri-
canism" they have both raised. In
| this they would be sure to be ably
seconded by Senator Borah of Idaho,
another Republican, who is just as
desirous as they are to have the
| treaty KILLED"
Could Campaign in senate.
To be able to employ the Senate
ance OF campaign speeches would
naturally save both Johnson and
Poindexter lot of arduous campaign
ing elsewhere. They would also be
assured of abundant publicity from
| an attentive press gallery.
1t is an open secret that certain
Republican leaders of the Senate are
not taking any more kindly to the
Johnson and Poindexter Presidential
| booms than are others of the "Old
Guard" Republicans who dominate
che party councils. They are figurins
that II the treaty is ratified and got
ten out Of the way there will be less
chance of the Johnsons and Poin-
dexters and Borahs making a cam
paign issue of 1t.
| Incentive for Ratification.
| Democratic as well as Republican
leaders realize that ratification will
do more to prevent the treaty from
| being made one of the principal is
sues of the Presidential race than
any other move they can make. They
anticipate that the Johnsons and
Poindexters and Borahs will strive
to keep the treaty alive as an issue,
even though II Is ratified, but they
are of the opinion that once the
treaty is ratified the attention of the
American people viii turn to more
burning issues like the inevitable
cost of living and taxation. This in
spires them to renewed efforts to
reach an agreement on the Lodge
reservations.
The threat OF Senator Hitchcock.
the Administration leader. to carry
the treaty to the floor of the Senate
unless the negotiations for a com
promise were continued by the bi-
| partisan conference of which he and
| Senator Lodge, the Republican lead
ers, are members, was regarded as
bluff" by some Republican Senators.
They do not believe Hitchcock wants
the treaty dragged into the Senate
Chamber again any more than they
do until an agreement has been
reached on the Lodge reservations
which will insure speedy ratification
and choke off interminable debat"
| But whether bluff or not. " t".
cocks move had the effect OF cor.
tinuing the negotiations until T'urs.
day, at least, when the bi-partisan