The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1920-02-27
SENATE DEMOCRATS
NEAR BREAK, BELIEF
Underwood Said To Head
Move For Caucus And
q Ratification


of a substantial break in the Demo-
cratic Senators to move today Tor
caucus to discuss a possible change in
party policy, and revived hopes OF the
Republicans that the treaty might yet
be ratified with the Republican re-
servations adopted at the last ses-
sion of Congress.
who initiated the movement for
Democratic get-together was not APP
parent. but the move was understood
10 have the Endorsement of Senator
Underwood. Alabama, a candidate Tor
the Democratic leadership. and Of
other influential Senators who have
been urging that every effort be made
to bring ratification. Senator
Hitchcock, Nebraska, acting party
leader, was not in Washington today
but will return tomorrow.
on the Republican side 1t was as
serted that twenty-five Democrats
only dozen short of the number re-
ouired to insure ratification. had sig
nified a willingness to quit the lead
of President Wilson and take the
Republican reservation programme
= as IL is.
q. O. T.. Gains Strength
This total. Administration chiefs
declared. exaggerated, but they conf
coded that were a vote taken tomor-
row on the Republican resolution OF
ratification it would command more
thar the seven Democratic votes 1t
got last November.
The movement for a Democratic
caucus may bring into the open, its
sponsors belieye the dissatisfaction
that has smouldered in some Demo-
cratic quarters since the President
sent his memorable letter to the
caucus of November 10, asking that
Senators of his party vote against
ratification on the basis of the Re-
publican reservation.
The seven Senator'S who disregard
ed his advice have been active con-
stantly in their effort to dissuade
others from the stand then taken, and
it has been an open secret that their
move, coupled with current political
developments. has met with some sue
cess.
But among both Democrats and Re-
publicans it is realized that the en-
deayor to break down Democratic re-
sistance still has a long way to go
If it is to succeed.
81 Woes Required To Ratify.
Sixty-four votes are required to
ratify the treaty and although thirty
four Republicans voted for ratifi-
cation in November the party leaders
are sure now of the support of only
thirty. That leaves thirty-four to be
delivered by the Democrats: an even
dozen more than the figure which
represented the peak of Republican
claims today.
In the belief that time is fighting
on their side. the plan of the Repub-
lican leaders is first to clear away
collateral issues of the treaty dis
agreement when the subject comes
again before the Senate, probably to-
morrow.
The next reservation to be consid-
cred in the revision being undertaken
on the Senate floor is the trouble
some qualification of Article X,
against which the President has di-
rected his principal criticism; but the
Republicans expect to ask that 1t be
laid aside until all the others have
been acted on.
Meantime it is pointed out, a Demo-
cratic caucus may have developed the |
real strength of the movement among
Democratic Senators to break away
from past policy of resistance and put
the treaty through. Should majority |
of the forty-seven Democrats vote in
the caucus to make such amove, 1t
is expected by the Republicans that
the effect would be to bring over the
votes needed for ratification.
White House May Stiffen Ranks.
In these calculations however,
neither side loses sight of the posi-
bility that the White House may
again exert its influence to stiffeh
the backs of the Administration sena- ,
tors or that the President may If an
ratification impends,
withdraw the treaty from Senate con-
sideration.
He might take the latter course, 1t
is suggested. to express at the same
lime his displeasure with the Senate