The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-03-20
TREATY BACK
ON WILSON'S
FRONT STEP
Document Turned Over to
Tumulty After Senate Re-
jects lt-Where to Bury 1t
Is Problem.
VOTED DOWN 49 TO s.
(By Associated PresS)

(By Associated PreSS)
WASHINGTON, March 20. - The
treaty of Versailles was returned to
President Wilson today by the senate
after 1t had failed of ratification last
night, 40 to So, for fourth time.
There was no intimation as to what
President Wilson would do with the
treaty. White house officials said the
usual procedure would be to send it to
the state department for burial in
the archives there.
The document, which was delivered
to the senate by the president in per-
son last July 10, was taken to the
White house by George A. Sanderson,
secretary Of the senate.
>e was accompanied by two senate
clerks and the party was received by
Rudolph Forster, executive clerk of
the White house. Mr. Forster did not
accept the treaty, however, the visit
ors being referred to Secretary Tumul-
ty.
Would Be Piseon-hoIed.
Suggestion that President Wilson
might return the treaty to the senate
brought emphatic statements from the
majority that it virtually would be pig
eon-holed in the foreign relations COM
mlttee. In any case the treaty ques-
tlon was regarded as already injected
into the presidential campaign as one
OF the main issues on which republi-
cans and democrats will fight for ma
tional Endorsement this fall.
Ratification was defeated last night
by vote of 40 to 35, the line up be-
ing % republicans and 81 democrats
for and % democrats and IL republi-
cans against. The net result of four
months of compromise negotiations
was the addition of II democrats to
those voting for ratification.
After the vote was taken, Senator
Robinson, Democrat, Arkansas, moved
10 reconsider but was ruled out on a
point Of order. No appeal from the
ruling was taken, leaders on both sides
being convinced that it was hopeless
10 expect affirmative action with the
senate membership constituted as it
now is
The final adverse vote was the
fourth by which the Senate refused to
approve the treaty, three others
having been taken in November
House Action Needed.
Action by the House of Represent
atives would be necessary to consum-
mate declaration of peace by resolu-
tion, as contemplated by Senator
Knox. His resolution proposes the re.
peal of the joint reservation declaring
war and provides that unless Germany
rotifieS the United States of it's ac-
ceptance of all undertakings contained
in the treaty of Versailles the Presi-
dent would have the power to prohibit
by proclamation commercial inter-
course between the two nations or the
giving of any assistance to Germany.
When the Knox resolution was put
forward last December, considerable
opposition to it became manifest in the
house. There is a question whether
the two legislative branches could get
together an an acceptable draft of the
resolution or of President Wilson
would accept it if passed. His sigma
ture is required to make joint resolu-
t1ons effective.
Senator Fall last summer submitted
a series of questions to the president
regarding the peace question, in which
he asked if congress and the president
could not declare peace by "proces
verbal such as resolution. President
Wilson was emphatic at that time in
his disapproval of such a course.
President Would Uot Approve.
Il feel constrained to say" he wrote
the New Mexico Senator, mot only
that in my judgment I have not the
power by proclamation to declare that
peace exists, but that | could in no
circumstance consent to take such a
course prior to tie ratification of a
formal treaty of peace.
Il feel it due to perfect frankness to
say that il would in my opinion put a
strain upon our national honor which
we never could efface. if after sending
our men to the battlefield to fight the
common cause, we should abandon our
associates in the war in the settlement
of the terms of peace and dissociate
ourselves from all responsibility with
regard to those terms"