The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-04-15
DEMOCRATS WILL
FIGHT MOVEMENT
RAILROAD PEACE
Senate Members Oppose Resolution
Passed by House for Separate
Peace with Germany; Demand
Record Vote.

Washington April l4'-t mas pe'
come known here that Democratic
members of the senate will not per
init the rushing through that body OF
the Porter.Knox peace resolution, but
will insist that ample opportunity be
given for debate and amendments.
The plan Of Democratic members
of the senate is to offer as an
amendment to the peace resolution
the League of Nations covenant, sep
arated from the peace treaty of Yer
sailles.
Senator Hitchcock, acting Demo
cratic leader, plans TO offer the
league covenant as an amendment
ana to demand 1 record vote on it
so the country may know how many
members OF the senate are willing
to promote world peace by creating
league of nations. In separating
the covenant from the peace treaty
proper, Senator Hitchcock will make
necessary a vote on that particular
part of the document brought back
by the president from Paris The
program of the Democratic leaders
in one respect, il to have a show
down with the irreconcilable element
in the senate and to ascertain
whether they are opposed to the
peace treaty itself or the league
covenant.
Recent statements of Senator
Lodge, Republican floor leader, that
the senate would probably quickly dis
pose of the peace resolution after 1t
came over from the house, appear to
have been too optimistic. After
survey of the situation, Senator
Hitchcock believes there will be ex-
tended debate in the senate because
of two primary things-the unconsti-
tutonRlity CT the peace resolution
and the Democratic belief that in Of
fering such a resolution the major
ity members are actuated largely by
political motives.
Senator Hitchcock expects the
vote in the senate on the peace reso-
luton to be very close. He says he
has found no support for the peace
rCs0,esion on the Democratic side
Of the chamber and believes the nil
nority will be almost solidly OPP
posed. There is also prospect that
one or more mild reservationists"
on the Republican side, who believe
that wars should be ended by peace
treaties and not by joint resolution,
and who still hope for ratification of
the peace treaty, will vote with the
Democrats.
Republicans, because of the differ
ent rules in the two houses and the
dominance of the rules committee in
the lower house, can jam the resolu-
tion through the lower chamber with
limited debate and no opportunity
for amendment In the senate, how
ever the resolution will not be con
sidered undo a gag rule and De
mocratic members will have time not
only to expose tho alleged political
maneuvering of the majority but to
propose amendments designed to de-
velop how sincere are these peace
efforts
Senator Hitchcock thinks it will
he impossible to pass the peace reso-
luton over the veto of the president,
assuming the president will veto the
resolution as unconstitutional. Mr.
Hitchcock said a two-thirds majority
to pass the resolution over veto
would be unobtainable in the senate.
In fact. if the peace resolution
passes, he believes it will be by
very close vote.
The general impression among De-
mocrats in congress Is that the presi-
dent. under his oath of office. neces-
sarily must veto the peace resolu-
ton. Republicans have little expec-
alton that the resolution will receive
he approval of the White House
Whether the president will return
o the senate the treaty of Yer
iailles after vetoipg the peace reso-
i'tion has not yet been disclosed,
'ut il is admitted at the Capitol that
his would be the psychological mo-
nent" for the president again to in
list that the senate ratify treaty
properly negotiated instead of adopt
ng an Illegal resolution of peace"