The Washington herald., 1920-02-14
28 DEMOCRATIC
SENATORS SIGN
TREATY PLEDGE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
On this final vote il is generally be-
lieved the irreconcilable Republicans
would join with Senator Lodge I'm
standing by the original reservation.
This would then bring the Democrats
face to face with the proposition of
voting to ratify with the original
Lodge reservation or joining Sena-
tors Borah. Knox. Brandegee. Reed
and others in voting to kill the treaty.
The statement signed by the Demo-
Gratis was as follows:
THE undersigned Democratic
Senators. as means of securing
ratification of the treaty, will sup
port as a reservation on Article Y
either of the following reservations.
the first one being the reservation
as framed in the bipartisan con-
ference recently held. and the sec
ond one being the last proposed
reservation by former President
Taft:
"Bi-partisan Conference Reserya-
tion-The United States assumes no
obligation to employ it's military
or naval forces or the economic
boycott to preserve the territorial
integrity or political independence
visions of Article y. or to employ
the military or naval forces of the
United States under any other arti-
Gle of the treaty for any purpose,
unless in any particular case the
Congress. which, under the Consti-
tuition, has the sole power to de-
clare war, shall. by act or Joint
resolution so provide. Nothing here
in shall be deemed to impair the
obligation in Article NVI concern
ing the economic boycott.
Taft Reservation.
Taft Reservation - The United
States declines to assume any legal
or binding obligation to preserve
the territorial integrity or political
independence of any other country
under the provisions of Article Y.
or to employ the military or naval
forces of the United tSates under
any article of the treaty for any
purpose. but the Congress. which,
under the Constitution. has the sole
power in the premises, will con-
slider and decide what moral obli-
cation, IL any, under the circum-
stances of any particular case. when
it arises, should move the United
States, in the interest of world
peace and justice, to take action
therein, and will provide accord
ingly.
whichever of the above reser-
vations is preferred by Republican
supporters of the treaty will as a
compromise be acceptable to US"
The agreement was signed by
twenty-eight Democratic Senators,
as follows:
Ashurst. Nugent. Kirby. Pome-
rene. kendriCk, Sheppard, Culber-
son, Gerry, Myers, owen. Hitchcock,
Overman. Mcclellan. Jones On. NJ,
Beckham, Trammel. Walsh mont },
Henderson. Ransdell, Harrison,
Chamberlain. King, Pittman, Sim
mons, Fletcher. Underwood. Robin
son and Harris.
Two Decline to Sign.
Senators Gore. of Oklahoma, and
Smith. of Georgia, declined to sign
although the latter promised Sena-
tor Hitchcock he would vote for
any compromise which would lead
to agreement.
Senator Hitchcock showed the
agreement to several of the mild
reservationists. among them being
Senators McCumber and McNary,
but they made no comment on it.
He said he would also show 1t to
Senator Lodge.
In regard to the two proposed
reservations, Senator Hitchcock
said the first was almost agreed
upon in the bipartisan conference
by all but Senator Lodge and him
self. while the Taft reservation was
refused consideration by Senator
Lodge. He denied that the White
House was consulted before the
agreement was drafted.
Commenting on the general situa-
tion with regard to the treaty, Sem
ator Borah said today that the situ-
alton looks fine for u.s." meaning
thereby the irreconcilable foes of
the treaty who hope to see it de-
MED ratification.