Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-01-15
HAVE THE DRYS
BEEN DELAYING
RATIFICATION?
Wet Senators Say They
Have, But It's Pretty
Hard to Prove.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
(SnAcial to The Ar1us

the CONSTITUTIONAL amendment on
prohibition goes into effect, ha re
anything to do with the delay on
the ratification Of the peace treaty?
This question is now being asked
here in view Of the sudden effort
and unquestionably vitalized back
ing now being given to the move
fol a compromise on the peace
treaty. 1t may be a mere coinci-
dence that William Jennings
Bryan didn't make a move for COM
promise when the treaty failed to
get twO-thirds vote last Novem-
Der and the talk of reaching and
agreement was in the air, and it
may be coincidence also that
nothing was done when congress
reconvened in December, but it is a
fact that not single one of the
noted dry" leaders of the senate
has been especially conspicuous in
the overtures for compromise which
have been going on for the last
few months, until the last two
weeks when it became apparent
that reservations included in the
treaty could not possibly be agreed
upon before Jan. 16.
Say It's Ridiculous.
DRY" senators on both the Re-
publican and Democratic side say
it is absurd to connect the delay en-
the peace treaty with any though,
on their part of a continuously dry
nation in the interim before Jan
16. Some of them have told me
they never have even heard the
wet" and "dry" fight mentioned in
treaty conferences. But certain
wet senators are sublimely conf.
dent that there could have been q
compromise on the peace treaty
ratification much earlier if it ha1
not been for the fear that the presl.
dent would Immediately left the
prohibition ban. They 60 SO far as
to change that the powerful inter.
ests which have held q club ovel
dry" senators have been quietly a
work against compromise effort.
because Of its effect on prohibition
1t is something very difficult t,
prove and it is interesting merel!
because the belief is entertained
and expressed by wet" senatorl
who are themselves interested il
the early ratification of tie treaty
OF course, conversely, one nigh
argue that the senators who wer,
working for compromise wer'
trying hard to get wet" spell fol
the country before the nation be
comes bone dry on Jan. 16. But TIL
elements Of coincidence in the sit
uation are worthy of note.
Active Behind Scenes.
So far as the record goes, IN,
votes cast on the night the treat!
failed of a two-thirds vote in th'
last session show vets and drys OF
both sides. Senator Owen, Demo
crat, for instance, who is dry, be
lieved so strongly in compromis'
that he even voted for the Lodge
reservations. On the other hand, il
the Republican ranks, not a dry
vote was cast for compromise ex
cept that of Senator McCumber
But it is in connection with the laci
of activity behind the scenes-no
in the voting last November-tha
tho charge is made that the "drys'
OF both the Democratic and Repub
lican side might have shown them
selves as interested in compromise
six weeks ago as they are today
Senators Hitchcock and Under
wood, who have been prime mover:
| in the compromise business ars
"wets" and it is pointed out Sena
tor Kendrick, Democrat, of Wyom
ing. who is dry, has suddenly got
ten active in the last fortnight sup
posedly on behalf of William Jen
nings Bryan in endeavorlng K
bring about a compromise.
Perhaps one of the most signi
cant utterances which has benI
seized upon by "wets" as a basis fol
their theory is the emphasis placef
by MIR. Bryan, champion of prohtbi
ton, on the liquor question in hi
Jackson day speech followed by hi
message of a few days ago urgin;
compromise and ratification b,
Jan. 16, which is the date the p.o
hibition amendment goes into ef
feet. 1t is true that the first meet
! ing of the council of the league oc
ours on Jan. 16, but the Unite
States could not. of course, atten'
that meeting even if the senat
acted because the actual process o
exchanging ratification would TAX
at least two or three weeks. There
fore it has been contendcd b.
"wets" that Mr.. Bryan plainly CAV
the game away when he set Jan. /
as the date for the putting into ef
feet of a compromise on the treaty
Why, they ask, was he silent be
tween Nov. q and Jan. s?
Opinions Differ.
1t will always be difficult to sa
what were the forces delaying tn
ratification of peace by the Unite
States. The procrastination ha
been variously attributed to part
politics, to alien elements in on
population and to the prohibitic
controversy. This much is true
President Wilson would have lifi
ed the wartime. prohibition ban tn
moment the treaty had been rat
fed. ..'Wets" and "drys" hay
known that for some time. Whethe
prohibition influences had anythin
to do with the delay is somethin
on which individual senators an
the public generally can dra'
their own conclusions, but wit
constitutional prohibition effectiv
on FRIDAY of this week. there n