Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-03
SENATOR LODGE: TO .
|. MOVE To CONSIDER.
TREATY IN SENATE
Declare Wis.,
: count Grey's Card in Lon
don Paper Will Hasten
Ratification

WASHINGTON, Feb. "A re-
newal of senate debate on the peace
treaty next week was regarded as
virtually assured today when Re
publican leaders decided to join with
the Democrats in the movement to
bring the treaty back into the open
senate.
Senator Lodge, the Republican
leader, gave notice today that he
e would move on next Monday to
suspend the rules and proceed to
consideration of the treaty. The
Democrats already had announced
they would. make a similar motion
Tuesday of next week.
In the form proposed by Senator
Lodge the motion will require a two
thirds majority, but the general pre-
diction was more than that number
would support it. Not only those
who favored ratification in some
form, but some of the treaty's irrec-
orcilable foes are ready to vote to
reopen the debate.
should Senator Lodges motion
fan, however, the motion of the
Democratic leaders the. following day
will be- in. such form that, only
majority would be necessary, TO pass
L.
ocrats contend that no Suspension
OF the rules would be. necessary to
take up the treaty and that position
is expected to be upheld by Vice
President Marshall. On appeal from
his decision, a majority only would,
ebe needed to sustain him: :
Senator Lodges announcement,
made lust after the senate met, APP
.parentIy sastounded Democratic SEN,
ators who. asked him to repeat it.
The surprise was due to the fact that
last week Senator Walsh, of Montana,
gave notice on behalf of Senator
Hitchcock that the latter would move
\ on February 10, to take up the treaty.
Senator Lodge thus forestalled Sen
ator Hitchcock by. setting the date
of his. motion one day ahead of Sen
atoF HitcRcock's.
II sincerely hope" said Senator
Lodge, in making his announcement,
"that unanimous consent will not be
refused. If it is, shall make the
necessary motion"
'sWhy wait so long, asked Sen,
ator Ashurst, Arizona, Democrat.
why not tomorrow or next day."
'I'll say to the senator" replied
Senator Lodge, that I've given that
consideration. But SO many senators
are absent that 1 think it better to
wait until next, Monday"
Senator lodges decision was
reached after conferences with other
Republicans and a study Of the rec
ord of the treaty debate in the last
session.
Democratic and Republican lead
ers are understood to be preparing
reservations to offer as soon as the
treaty again is before the' senate. In
some quarters it was predicted many
Of the points at issue soon would be
eliminated by an agreement on the
basis of the work done by the in
formal bipartisan compromise COM
lnittee. The possibility that open de-
bate would facilitate agreement on
article ten and the Monroe doctrine,
however, was regarded by many of
the senators as remote. -.-.
The letter of Viscount Grey, for
mer British ambassador here, to the
London Times, in which he said
American reservations to the peao4
treaty were justified from an AmerT-
can point Of view, was believed hera
today to have. fastened ratification.
Senator'S wiz favor reservations
held that Grey's letter took the
ground out from under those men,
bers who. were against any reserva-
lions whateter, and who have said
that the allies would not accept
them. 1t was pointed out that Brit
ain, the principal associate of the
United States in the war, expressed
through Viscount Grey Willingness
to accept many of the reservations
which have been proposed. His at
titude, and the fact that he even
went so far as to argue in favor of
certain American reservations, is
expected to strengthen the stand Of
senators who favor quick reserva-
ton on a compromise basis, even if
practically all of the Lodge reserva-
tions have to be accepted. ...
Senators today were watching
closely for some sign of what the
White House thinks about the Brit
ish attitude. President Wilson's
stand all along has been that he
could not accept changes in the
treaty or. the League of Nations
covenant, because he had signed the
original documents. thus promising
the allies that they would be ac-
cepted by the United States.
Viscount .Grey's letter, it was be-
Iieved, gives the president ain excel
lent opportunity to change this po-
sition, if he so desires. In fact,
some senators thought Viscount
Grey. had almost invited him to do
so.
The former ambassadors letter
represents the official policy of
Great Britain oward American rati-
fcation, it is understood here.
While he was in Washington he
consulted with many senators and
sized up the situation at first
hand, went home and reported to
his government, and shortly there
after wrote his letter to the Lon
don Times.