New-York tribune., 1920-01-27
Democrats Will Give An
swer To-day Defining
Their Attitude; Hitch
cock Ready for Debate
Republicans Scent
A Political Trick
Senator Colt Says Moth
ing Less Than Lodge
Views Can Be Passed
New FORK Tribune
Washington Bureau

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 BIZ
partisan conferences on compromise
reservations to the league of nations
covenant came to a sudden end TO-
day with both Republicans and DEM
ocrats undetermined as to their fu-
ture course, and the time fast ap-
preaching when move will be made
to bring the treaty back on the floor
of the Senate again, and reopen the
whole debate.
In all the currents that ran through
the Senate there was no positive in
dication of what might happen in
the next forty-eight hours, or
whether the Senators who wish to
bring the treaty out into the open
again will be successful if they make
serious effort toward such action.
There is no man on either side of
the chamber who can predict conf
IDENTIFY how many votes he can mus
ter back of him.
Senator Lodge, leader of the Re-
publican majority, and who has
acted as chairman Of the bipartisan
conferences, apparently reconciled
his differences to-day with that
group when he said he had informed
the bipartisan conferees this morn
ing that in his Judgment the Senate
would not ratify the treaty with
reservations milder than those bear
ing his name. But on the heels Of
his announcement came reports from
the mild reservationists" that they
were unwilling to see the negotia-
tions fail, and that if they did the
treaty would be carried to the floor
in the near future and the issue
fought out there to a finish.
Hitchcock Leans to Mild" View
Senator Hitchcock, Administration
leader in the fight, was inclined TO
agree with this suggestion OF some Of
the mild reservationists." and in it ne
was said by other Democrats to have
sufficient support from his own party
and from Republicans to bring the
dertake sucn a move.
To AID a fresh complication to the
situation, however, one of the mild
reservationists," Senator Colt, of RhoCe
Island, said tonight he did not agree
/. ~l1 Il
did not believe they could muster two
thirds Of the Senate behind the treaty
with reservations of milder character
than the Lodge reservations.
Senator Hitchcock" said Senator
Colt tonight, doesn't want a COM
promise. He wants to throw the blame
for beating the treaty on the Repub-
licans."
Supporting this view, other Senators
who up to tonight were in favor of
accepting changes in the wording Of
the Lodge reservations SO long as their
substance remained intact took the
view that to bring it out on the floor
would be to put the Democrats in the
position where they could force the
Republicans to vote against all sorts
of changes in wording and eventually
vote against the treaty itself.
The Senate was apparently at sea
on the whole situation. The Democrats
are not believed to be lined up solidly
behind the Hitchcock plan for bringing
the treaty out and placing the blame
for failure of negotiations on the
Republicans.
Democratic Causus Scheduled
Before the bipartisan conference
meets again tomorrow the Democrats
are expected to get together and out
line their attack upon the majority and
plan the steps they may take in the
future. If their ideas of tonight be-
come facts tomorrow, they will go
into the conference prepared to offer
| to resume negotiations on Article \
where they left off when the confer
ences broke up last week. If the Re-
publicans will not continue negotia-
tions, or indicate they cannot accept
any changes in the wording of the
Lodge reservations, the meeting prob
ably will break up
If the Democrats follow Mr.. Hitch
cocks IDEAS. they will issue q STATE
ment to the country showing Just how
far the conferences progressed and
/ giving 1t as their opinion that the Re
puollcans are responsible for failure
TO get together on a reasonable COM
promise. This statement may be made
/ O'i 1iic iicoI VI lue CEnAte ana. II
made, is bound to start fireworks.
Trick of Democrats Charged
Some of the "irreconciIables" were
trying tonight to make the mild
reservationists" look at the situation as
they view it. They feel that it is not
merely question of changing the
wording of the reservations, but chang
ing with the words the political party
which would get credit for those reser-
vations. So long as the reservation.
bore Mr.. Lodges name, the country.
these Senators feel, would remembe :
them as Republican reservations, but
the minute they were changed they
probably would become known as tha
Hitchcock reservations, and the country
eventually might come to believe that
they were the result of Democratic ef-
fort.
Even Senator Lodge himself was said
tonight not to have realized the politi~
cal significance of this Democratic plan
until it was pointed out to him by the
'irrcconcilables'