The New York herald., 1920-01-14
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Senators who were against the league
Ialtogether. no matter what reservations
or amendments were made.
1T seemed to me from the beginning
that the only hope for ratification was
along the pathway or reservations, and
after all this discussion of which 1 have
spoken a very decisive majority of the
Senate adopted fourteen reservations.
Twelve of them were reported by the
committee and two were presented on the
floor of the Senate. The reservations in
themselves were n compromise between
the two extreme views, and they repre-
sented then, as they do now, the views
of the majority of the Senate.
After the vote by which the ratifica-
ton of the treaty with the reservations
was defeated the treaty without change
was voted down. not merely by third
being against il, but by a majority OF the
Senate being against 1t. That is the situa-
tion tSday.
President Remains Unmovcd.
The President wrote a letter TO the
Democratic conference in which he de-
clared against all of tho reservations pro-
posed en- bloc. and this was followed by
a letter read at the Jackson Day dinner
which simply indicates that he has I'm no
sense moved from his first position There
is a very strong and earnest desire on
the part OF the. Senate TO raufy the treaty.
1t cannot be done without concessions.
There is, | think. a general willingness.
on one side certainly. to let the question
be decided at the polls and take the views
of the people upon IL. and see what the
people themselves really think. But that
would involve fourteen months delay, and
there is a very earnest desire on the part
OF the Senate generally. think, TO reach
some decision now. IL possible.
81 have said repeatedly on the floor and
in the newspa apers-and | represented at
the time certainly those who put on the
IreserVat ons--that IL notifications could
be proposed which would bring us to-
gether we should be happy to hear them
and consider them. and from that post
tion | have never moved. ! am speaking
only for myself--I cannot answer for
others as TO what they will accept-but l
shall be glad TO consider any modfica-
ton that may be offered by the minority
who oppose them.
There have already been great many
informal conferences. We are taking
about IL every day, and / am III hopes
that we may reach a point where we can
get the necessity sixty-four votes, put you
must remember tnat sixty-four votes are
necessary. That is the practical question
had some little experience In finding
how difficult Il was TO get forty-nine SEN
HtOrS To agree on set Oh rcrei N"H""e'
aud, OF course, to secure sixty-four votes
IL viii be even more difficult That Is
what Is being done, and that IL the only
way that we may be able to reach an
agreement and see II we can FIND COM
mon ground.
~ think there is a very general desire
to avoid the delays which would neces-
sarily ensue from remitting the whoIe
question to the election In November, ana
can only repeat that those who formu-
lated the reservations which were adopt
ed by the majority of the Senate VIII be
glad indeed to consider any modification
proposed and then decide what we can
accept and what cannot be accepted ana
try and reach common ground. Efforts
ere being made In that direction on both
sides of the chamber today.
Senator Hitchcock told the delesation
that the negotiations on the treaty had
been marked by comnnendable spirit OF
compromise on both sides during the last
few days. But. he added, u was ditfi-
cult matter 10 compose differences among
Senators on reservations. although no less
than eighty actually desired ratification.
Each day brings ua nearer common
ground" said Senator Hitchcock. opti-
mistically "rhe difficulties OF the situa-
tion from the Democratic point Of Wow
arc greatly enhanced by tho fact that the
Democrats can never go beyond accept
ance of what they think will meet with
the Presidents approval"