The Washington herald., 1920-03-15
Senate Vote on Treaty to
Be Mere Formality, With
Defeat Certain.
MUST co TO PEOPLE
Lawmakers Wonder What
Effect Stand viii Have
On Own Elections.
BY ROBERT T.. Harry.

ing to seek a more hospitable abode
than the Senate. 1t is ready 10
travel among the American people.
soliciting their embraces. 1t has
been standing on the Senate door
step for many weary months, and
has about concluded there is no
body home. ~
The Senate will vote this week.
The result is regarded as settled In
advance. Senators are prepared for
the final showdown in a spirit very
much akin to that of Republicans
in Texas going to the polls to try
to elect a governor. The traty's
chances are about as bright. The
tabulation of the vote Is a mere
form. The necessary constitutional
majority of the Senate is not yet
ready to accept the league Of ma
tions' covenant into the bosom of
the nations foreign relations.
Article Ten is Due Today.
Article Ten will be disposed of
today. The original Lodge reserva-
tion, once hailed as an "irreducible
minimum" has been scraped. The
Lodge substitute will be adopted.
Senators opposed to the substitute
have been trying for three days to
ascertain the reason for discarding
of the original reservation, for a
substitute held to involve no sacri-
fee OF principle. The answer given
them has been Just because"
The physical persons of Senators
may be at the Capitol this week.
but their minds will be rowing the
uncharted seas of an epochal poll
tical campaign. Those who must
face their constituents for re-elec-
tion are wondering just where we
are at" They are perplexed They
are alarmed. They are frank in
their concern over what the nation
al conventions may do with respect
to the treaty. Their private con-
versations belle their public state
ments. There, are many confusing
elements in the situation
Bryan Due Here "Wednesday.
William Jennings Bryan is due
in Washington On Wednesday to
make his concluding effort to swing
enough Democratic votes to ratify
the treaty. william L. Borah will
leave the Capital Immediately after
the vote on ratification to aid Sen
ator Hiram johnson in the cam
paign to persuade the electors te
that the United States should never
ratify. Bryan hopes to convince the
Democratic party that il should not
enter the campaign on the issue of
Iunreserved ratification of the treaty.
Woodrow Wilson's influence at San
Francisco will undertake exactly
the opposite program. Borah be-
lieves the Republican party can be
committed to opposition to the
league, even with reservations. The
voices of powerful leaders will be
Iagainst him.
Party leaders are preparing for
the struggle before the people. The
restricted forum OF the Senate has
not been abb to adjus tthe issue.
The people are to compose the tri-
bunal. Republican leaders have
contended that the party platform.
written at Chicago next June, would
embody such views on the treaty
as Senator Henry Cabot Lodge de-
leaders have believed the San Fran
cisco convention would stand by
the President"
New York's Position.
Elihu Root and the New York Re-
publicans are committed to ratifi-
cation with a set of reservations
that paraphrased the Lodge pro-
gram without making it, and to re-
vision of the covenant as soon as
the Republican president takes Of
flee. Since the Empire State Re-
publicans acted, Senator James w.
Wadsworth, jr., of New York, has
shifted to the irreconcilables be-
caues of the changes in the Lodge
reservations and is opposed to rati-
fication. His colleague. Senator
William NJ. Calder, is regarded as
being ION the fence"
Opposed to the influence of Lodge,
Root, former President Taft and
others favorable to ratification with
reservations will be some of the
most widely-known and influential
Republican members of, the Senate.
They are preparin gto fight, at Chi
cago, any party Endorsement of the
treaty and the league. with reserva-
llOHS. L Hty hOpc W nave the pat
form confine itself to Endorsement
of 'the refusal" of the Republican
majority of the Senate ito ratify
the treaty without strong American
reservations"
Acceptable to Lodge.
1t is believed Lodge would be
willin gto accept such a proposal.
That would not be condemnation
of the Republican irreconcilabIes.
1t would be in line with the fire.
quent statements of even the mild
reservation" Republicans. 1t is nor
improbable that Borah, johnson.
and others of the more radical ir-
reeoncilables will contend for a fiat
denunciation of the league. They
believe the issue of reservations
will be discarded before the cam
paign shall have proceeded for
thirty days; that the issue become
league or no league" with the
Wilson Democrats standing for
American membership on the basis
the President intended, and the
Republicans against any such bind
ing participation,