The Washington herald., 1920-01-20
DEADLOCK ON
VOTING POWER
INPEACEPACT
Hitchcock Asserts British
Object to Terms Of Len
root Reservation.
REPUBLICANS FOR IT
Mccormick Ridicules Col
lege Vote-Propagand-
lists Said to Be Busy.
REPUBLICANS FOR 1T

The bipartisan conference OF SEN
ators who are undertaking to draft
compromise reservations on the peace
treaty reached a deadlock yesterday
which both sides regarded as serious
and as likely to block any further
progress toward agreement
The deadlock is on the reservation
originally written by Senator Len
root. of Wisconsin. TO remedy the
inequality Of voting power in the
treaty by which the British Empire
is given six votes and the United
States has but one. 81.
The reservation provides that the
United States shall assume no oo-
legation imposed by the assembly Of
the league of nations upon which
any nation with its self-governins
colonies or dominions shall have cast
more than one vote.
When this reservation was adopted
by the Senate. it was a compromise
Of the extreme views entertained by
Senator Hiram Johnson, and others
who supported the Johnson amend
ment. to raise the vote Of the United
States to an equality With that OF
the British Empire. Many of the
Republican Senators VINO helped de-
feat the johnson amenhmenS did so
with the distinct pledge that they
would support the Lenroot reserva-
ton on the same subject.
Britain Opposes Reservation.
For these reasons, it is not be-
lieved that many of the Republicans
in the Senate would be willing to
yield in their adherence to the Len
root reservation. Viscount Grey him
self. just before sailing for England,
is said to have told Senator Hitch
cock that the British government was
strongly opposed to the reservation
and hoped it would be changed.
Senator Lenroot is one of the par
Elephants in the bipartisan confer
ence. When the subject of his res
ervation was brought up yesterday
he argued strongly against any
changes being made in it. He was
supported by the other Republican
members.
British empire objected to it upon
the ground that it wTuId. in their
opinion, disfranchise Canada. Aus
tralia and the other se!f-governing
dOminions of Britain from voting.
After the conference Senator
Hitchcock announced that the dead
lock was reached on this reserya-
ton, and said the conferees were
stuck on. that pretty hard"
Senator Lodge also said neither
side seemed inclined to yield.
With regard to some of the minor
rcserN ations. both sides announced
there had been some progress to-
ward agreement. The conference is
to be continued this morning.
Differ on College Vote.
In the Senate yesterday Senator
Hitchcock provoked a vigorous de-
bate by reading into the record a re-
port Of the college vote which was
taken throughout the country. lie
gave the figures, as follows:
For unqualified ratification. S,23e +;
against any ratification. 1888; for
ratification with the Lodge reserva-
tiOns. 27,97O; for compromise reser-
vations. 61,494; for the Knox plan
of ending war by resolution, 6,4gg.
Total. I5S.O7S.
Senator Hitchcock argued that this
vote showed a great preponderance
Of sentiment for ratification without
reservations or with the compro-
mise reservations which the Demo-
Gratis support, over the destructive
reservations proposed by Senator
Lodge" This Interpretation of the
figures was disputed by Senator
Edge. of New Jersey. who contend
ed that they showed s. 4 per cent
for ratification with reservations,
including the Lodge program. while
only 341s per cent favored unquaIi-
fed ratification. This, he said.
meant vote of two to one against
ratification of the kind demanded
by the President
Senator Mccormick ridicuIed the
college vote, declaring it had been
carefully 'shepherded'' by tn.
League " WnlCn ndQ
sent speakers and pamphlets to
every college as soon as it was an
nounced the poll was to be taken.
Senator Sutherland, OF West Vir-
ginia. interrupted to say that a great
many speakers had been sent to this
country by England to create senti-
ment for the league. He talked
with a DR.. Newton. he said, who
told him he was here for that pur-
pose.
Senator Mccormick reminded the
Senate OF the votes taken in Okla
hon1a and Alabama where the
league was an issue. and also in the
French Chamber of Deputies, which
defeated Clemenceau. one of the sig
natories to the treaty, for the
French presidency.
The Foreign Relations COMMITTEES
will take up the resolution by Sena-
tor King to award Thrace to Greeea
at its meeting tomorrow morning.