The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-03-09
LEAGUE Of
NATIONS
!; !; AS ISSUE
Wilson S Stand is to
Accept It as It Stands or
Reject It En-
tirely.
LETTER TO HITCHCOCK
Senate No Nearer Agreement on Rati-
fication of Peace Treaty Than
When First Pre-
= scnted.
LETTER TO HITCHCOCK
[By l.. c. Martin, United Press Stan
Correspondent7

I[By l.. C. Martin, United Press STAFF
Correspondent
| WASHINGTON, March 9.-"The
league as it stands or no league at
ALL" is the issue in the treaty fight
as President Wilson sees it, in the
opinion of senators Of both parties
who today discussed Wilson's letter
to Senator Hitchcock. Senators
Borah and Hitchcock who represent
the opposite extremes, agreed khat
the president had clearly drawn the
issue and that il the treaty goes
into the campaign it will be upon
that basis.
! At the same time senators work
ing for compromise on the reserva.
I tion to Article x continued their
work They read into Wilson'S let.
ter an implication that he would ac-
! cept, against his will, the bipartisan
reservation to Article K.
The question OF how far the presi-
dents letter will affect democratic C
senators who have been wavering,
probably will be answered only when
the final roll is called on the treaty.
Hitchcock, the democratic leader,
said in his judgment the letter would
not change the situation. 49, ,
On the republican side the bitter
enders" were pleased to note that
the president wanted the issue as
clear cut as they want it, Borah said.
Borah has maintained that the only
way to go to the people of the coun-
try in the campaign on the treaty is
on an issue of the treaty as it stands
or no treaty at all.
of iNy, ic tc
were inclined to be angry at the
Wilson description of them as mild
nulliiers." The letter may send them
back into the Lodge camp. it was
believed.
Lodge and his group said the letter
was typical" Lodge, refraining
from formal comment, called atten-
ton to the delightful passages" in
the letter, particularly the one in
which he attacks France"
Senatorse Borah and Mccormick,
Illinois, expect to bring up the letter
today in speeches. 1t seems likely
that one of it's effects will be to
lengthen debate on Article x.
Discussion of Letter.
WASHINGTON, Mar. 9.-Discussion
of President Wilson's letter to Sem
ator Hitchcock, refusing treaty COM
promise broke out in the senate to-
day soon after it met. Lodge, repu5-
ican, opened the debate.
Efforts to agree on a compromise
ON article x reservation continued.
A new reservation was agreed upon
by republican leaders, including
Lodge and was accepted ty some
democrats. Whether enough demo-
Gratis will agree to it is not yet ap-
parent but it will be offered by the re-
publicans.
Elihu Root is credited with having:
given impetus to this latest compro-
mise move. He advised Lodge and
other republican leaders this week to
DO their utmost, by changing phrase
ology of reservations to win ov1r
enough democrats to bring about rdti
1ication.
Lodge declared he thought what
the president said about France was
most unfortunate" He quoted the
portion of the letter in which Wilson
said that imperialists and militarists
are in control of the French govern
ment-
Il do not think that ought to be said
about France" continued Lodge. Il
think it unfounded; 1 think the re
verse is the case. 1 am sorry it has
been said by the president. I regret
also that the president took occasion
ito say something about Italy that
seemed wholly uncalled for. Since
when has it become crime for a ma
ton to seek for self protection From
my point of view it is to be regretted
that the president should have inter
fered at all in the Adriatic contro-
versy for it was something that dos
not concern us. think the presi-
dents argument in favor of article X
might have been made without going
tContinued on page %