New-York tribune., 1920-02-04


tor Hitchcock agree to call another
caucus Of the Democratic Senators to
elect a permanent Democratic leader of
the Senate The Democrats have full
representation now that Senator Glass,
Of Virginia has taken his seat.
At the first caucus tie vote was
cast for Senator's Underwood and
Hitchcock, the rival candidates, on two
ballots. and it was decided that an
other caucus should be held when
called by Underwood and Hitchcock
J after. Senator Glass was sworn in.
Underwood for Reservations
Senator Underwood favors acceptance
of modified Lodge reservations to the
treaty in order to secure ratification
of the pact, while Senator Hitchcock
nothing toward effecting a compromise
with the Republicans without the con-
sent of President Wilson. Senator
Smith, of Georgia, declined to vote at
the first caucus, but the supporters
of the Underwood candidacy assert he
will vote for Underwood at the next
caucus. Senator Smith. however. de-
clared there was no authority for the
statement. and added that he has re
ceived copies of resolutions adopted
by various Georgia organizations de-
his vote from both candidates because
Underwood and Hitchcock are both
vets"
Senator Smith holds control of the
leadership situation among the Demo-
Gratis, and his vote will decide the con-
test. He has inclined toward Under
wood since the first caucus, because
of the treaty. Senator Smith voted for
ratification with the Lodge reservations
when the treaty failed of ratification in
the Senate on November 19.
Former United States Senator James
Hamilton Lewis, Democrat, of Illinois,
in statement to-day declared the let
ter of Lord Grey was "impolitic and
proftless" and that it was aimed at the
pro-Irish feeling in the United States.
"The statement of Niscount Grey"
said Mr. Lewis, "as to England's as
senting that the United States shall
have as many votes in the league con-
vention as the British Empire was a
bit of oil-spraying and for diplomatic
uses-not for practical politics. He
knew that in every instance in the as
sembly where Britain could cast her
six colony votes against any issue of
the United tSates against Europe the
United States would at the same time
have the votes from Panama, Porto
Rico and other Central American states
under our direction, amounting to eight
to England's six.
"Lord Grey knew Britain had no six
90 our one in anything. He would not
nave dared to surrender his country to
US by giving up as Ambassador Brit
aims votes if Englishmen felt they had
any such advantage.
His letter was bit Of English ap-
peal to Irish opposition in the United
States for relief to Ireland. The pre-
pared document of Lord Grey was as
impoitic as it is proftless.'
WASHINGTON. Feb. (By The Asso-
ciated Press ).-Senate leaders, prepar-
ing to bring the peace treaty again to
the surface of Senate consideration
! next week. took up to-day the problem
of clearing away the wreckage of tan
gled parliamentary red tape which the
treaty carried down with it when it
failed of ratification last November.
Not the least of their troubles was
| the cloture which was invoked to choke
off debate just before the ratification
vote. and which Vice-P President Mar
shall is expected to hold must come
back into the Senate along with the
treaty. The leaders want some sort of
cloture but they do not want to be
stringhalted by so stringent q rule,
''-NNi '''''Nh 't'"i ~ AeVoA" on roNN v
have expected their full quota of time.
Treaty May Be Recommitted
The method apparently most in favor
for avoiding this difficulty is to recon-
NIT the treaty to the Foreign Relations
Committee, a move which parliament
tary experts say would automatically
rid it of it's cloture restrictions. If
that is done, it probably will be quail
fed by stipulation that a report is to
be returned immediately Then when
| the report is made the Republicans will
be ready to present reservations and
/ the Democrats to suggest notifications
in them.
Some Senator'S, however, are strong
ly adverse to opening the gates of de-
bate without any form of cloture, and
are bringing pressure to bear on the
Rules Committee to act promptly on
one Of the proposals for modified co-
ture before it. Tonight no meeting
Of the committee had been called and
the leaders were not hopeful that any
action would be possible before the
treaty comes up Monday.
In case the committee does not act
it is possible there may be a move
to adopt cloture rule in the Senate
without committee consideration 1t
was said tonight, however, that no
definite plan to that end had been
evolved
johnson to Fight League,