The Washington herald., 1920-01-25
Bitter Lack
Sufficient Strength
To Block Peace Pact
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

made yesterday that these Sena-
tors. who include Ball. Freling-
huysen. Newberry. Phipps, suther-
land and Elkins. have felt rather
piqued because their attitude had
been too much taken for granted
and they had not been consulted
with regard to their views as much
as other Senators.
For this reason. according to one
who has sounded the views of each
of the above named Senators. they
felt duty bound to assert their In
dependence and consent to support
the irreconcilable group in carry
ing out the threat made to Sena-
tor Lodge.
stand for Article Ten.
The records of each of these Sem
ators and sentiments understood to
have been expressed by them indi-
lcate, however. that II the question
or treaty ratification on defeat
should come to "a showdown they
will support Senator Lodge.
In addition to these Republican
groups, there is the group of mild
reservationists that numbers twelve
for certainty-and 1t is the belief
OF the majority of the group that
there are at least five more Sena-
tors who will join them-who sew
eral weeks ago told Senator Lodge
that II he does not yield on Article
Ten they will bolt his leadership
and join the Democrats. The Herald
Is In possession of this list, which
was given confidentially.
1t was pointed out yesterday that
the position of Senator Lodge is
much more embarrassing than that
or Senator Hitchcock, the Demo-
cratic leader.
Senator Lodge is beset on one side
by the Democrats, who urge speedy
compromise; by the mild reservation
Republicans, who assert that unless
he yields on Article X they will ex-
ert their strength in destroying his
leadership. and, finally. by the 'irre-
concilables," who tell him that IL ne
does yield. the treaty will be de-
feated. confident that the knowledge
that his agreeing to compromise
will thus defeat the treaty and i'm
pair the chances for party success
at the polls this fall will cause Sem
ator Lodge to stand by his determi-
nation not to go beyond the ire
uuSiOit iiiHlIluHl
Possibility of Concession.
In spite of reports that Fridays
conference Mad again deadlocked
chances for a compromise in the
near future. Senator Lodge is known
to be prepared to yield on Article
y to the extent of recognizing the
obligation of the United States. but
limiting the enforcement provisiul
so that this coUntry's participation
would ordinarily be diplomatic rath-
er than by armed force.
This is essentially the reservation
on the bone of contention" of the
treaty contained in the Kendrick-
McKellar reservations. and will be
acceptable to the great majority of
the Democrats. including the Hitch
cock group.
During the coming wek Senator
lodge will hold conferences with
many Republican Senators in an
effort to determine just how many
will stand by him in carrying
through a program which would
embody minor changes in Article
Ten and several slight departures
from the original Lodge reserva-
tions. 1t is understood he is going
to show them the changes contem-
plated are not material. II he is
convinced he has sufficient strength
which. combined with Democratic
support. will guarantee the treaty's
ratification. he will then confer with
Senator Hitchcock, thus resuming
the bipartisan conferences tempo
rarily brought to a close Friday by
the action of the irreconcilable Sem
ators.
Ratification Looked For.
Should all efforts at compromise
fail. which Is deemed unlikely. the
treaty with the original Lodge reser-
vations would doubtless be ratified.
1t is this belief which is understood
to have prompted the irreconcilables
to deliver their ultimatum to Sem
ator Lodge. Several influential SEN
ators stated yesterday. however. that
in their opinion the treaty would
never go to the Senate a second time
containing the Lodge reservations
unchanged.
One of the Senators, Republican,
who yesterday discussed the treaty
with The Herald representative, ;-s-
serted the threatening attitude of
the irreconcilables is merely an effort
to prevent ratification of the treaty
This Senator, whose name is with
held at his request. said:
THE treaty must not 20 into the
campaign ii it can be avoided. This
is what Senators Borah and Johnson
and other Seniors desire, but il might
prove a boomerang which would prove
disastrous 10 the interests of the
party. l feel that there are enough
Republican Senators who share this
view to secure a compromise that
will insure ratification before the
campaign begins
VIII Hays blamed.
Will II. Hays. chairman of the
Republican National Committee.
and sinister interests" in the Re-
publican party outside the Senate
were blamed last night by treaty
irreconcilables for getting Senator
Lodge into the bipartisan treaty
conferences.
The irreconcilables said Lodge
himself never wished to compro-
mise on the treaty. but that he had
been forced to make a show of do /
ing so. by pressure from Hays and
the interests" they spoke of.
Their mission. the irreconcilables
explained. is to save Lodge from
those who are trying to make him
weaken on the program of reserva-
tions which, he said was the "ir- (
reducible minimum" of safety for {
the United States.
This was the reason the bitter
enaers" called Lodge in yesterday
ana read the riot act to him."
they said.