The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-05-07
SOLID
AGAINST c. O..P.
PEACE RESOLUTION
Opponents Claim They Will
Prevent Such a Lineup and
to Make 1t Impossible to
Override Presidents Veto.

WASHINGTON, May I. tSpl)-Dem-
ocrats of the senate are practically
solid In their opposition to the so-called
peace resolution and under the leader
snip OF senator Oscar W. Underwood.
minority floor leader and Senator Gil.
pert M. Hitchcock, ranking Democrat
or the foreign relations committee, they
VIII present such an opposition lineup
that it will be impossible for the Re-
hubiicans TO pass the resolution over
the expected veto Of the president
Republican claims that the Democrats
would fllibuster against the resolution
and not permit it to come to vote in the
senate are repudiated on the Demo-
cratic side of the chamber. The Dem
ocrats say they are quite willing to
face the issue presented in the Knox
resolution and do not intend to avoid
| II by a filibuster
The Democratic program is to have
reasonable debate on the Knox resolu-
ll9n ana permit 1t to come to a vote
whenever the Republican majority asks
Tor action, II there is any one Demo-
| crat inclined to flibuster the party
leaders do not know it and a one man
1ilbuster would get nowhere. The
party program does not embrace fill
clustering tactics and Republican claims
that the minority will whip about the
| stump and attempt to foTestall a vote
are declared to be entirely without foun
dation
Democrats say that the politics shown
| by the Knox resolution is such that
the minority senators have no hesi-
fancy In squarely meeting the issue and
permitting II to go to the country. The
question, they say, is whether peace
| shall be made in a constitutional way
by ratification Of a peace treaty nego-
| tiated In accordance with precedent
ard the constitution, or whether peace
shail~bs' declared by one-sided paper
resolution"
Senator Underwood the minority
leader. says the Knox resolution is not
only without constitutional standing but
| that even II it were constitutional 1t
| is imperfcctly drawn and amounts to
nothing except Il makeshift attempt to
declare peace.
The resolution is entirely one
sided" said Senator Underwood "and
contains nothing actually bringing about
peace. Germany's acceptance of the
terms can not be assured under such
resolution and it is proposed that
we take the ridiculous position that the
war Is at an end, present a peace reso-
luton to Germany and then await for
her to take her own sweet time about
accepting this sort of a peace.
The principle is about the same as
though | We're to offer to sell a lot of
land to another man for 81 900 and
were to make out a deed to the lot and
give it to him saying Here is the deed,
pay me for the lot whenever you feel
like it,. We would offer Germany some
thing on a silver platter and then take
our chances that Germany will agree
to our sort of a peace
Senator Underwood said the senate
Democrats had not fully mapped out
their line of attack but that undoubt-
edly the debate would hinge on the un-
Constitutionality OF the document, as
wen as it's futilty and ineffectivencss.
1t is gratifying to the Democratic
leaders Of the senate that the party
alignment will be substantially solid
against the peace resolution Not more
than three or four recalCtrant Demo-
Gratis, who were hltter-end opponents
of the peace treaty, are expected to
vote with the Republicans for the make
shift resolution and 1t is predicted there
may be one or two Republicans voting
with the Democrats against the un-
preCedented proposal,
Outside Of this however, the party
lines will remain practically intact and
administration supporters in the upper
chamber have accepted the Republican
challenge attempting peace by paper
resolution and will so to the country
with the issue That the resolution Is
IL political byplay, designed manly as
a campaign issue and to cover up the
Republicans rejection Of the peace
treaty Of Versailles is the contention
of the senate Democrats who will re-
sist every effort to divert attention
from the peace treaty by such unCOn-
stitutional methods,