New-York tribune., 1920-03-08
Bipartisan Modification
of Article X Agreed
On if Democrats Will
Pledge Enough Votes,
Mild Senators in
Parley With Lodge
Result of Conference To
Be known by Tuesday;
Borah Still Confident

From The Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE Re-
publicans in the Senate will make
last hour effort to save the peace treaty
with Germany from second defeat
by offering to support the modified
Lodge reservation to Article x that
was submitted to President Wilson
last week, provided the Democrats will
pledge a sufficient number of votes to
secure ratification on that basis.
The modified reservation that will
be proposed in the Senate before the
friends of the treaty abandon hope of
ratification specifies that the United
States assumes no obligation under
Article x to use her military or naval
forces, the economic boycott, diplo-
matte means or her financial or eco
nomic resources.
Republicans in Conference
The decision to make further move
for a compromise was made at
conference of Republican Senators to-
day at the home of Senator Lodge. The
nine 'mild reservationists," who are
once more in q position to control the
situation in the Senate, attended, as
necticut, an "irreconcilable," and Sen
ator Lenroot, Of Wisconsin, chief ad-
wiser to Senator Lodge in the treaty
fight.
The conference was called to meet
efforts of the Administration forces in
the Senate to force the Republicans
to assume sole responsibility for re-
lection of the treaty. The Democrats,
aided by President Wilson's semi-offi-
cial announcement that he would not
deposit ratification with the original
deposit ratification if the bipartisan
conference reservation were accepted,
had expected the "mild reservation
lists" to bolt Senator Lodge and line
up with them.
Forty Democrats have signed pledge
to vote for the bipartisan conference
reservation, and they have been ne
gotiating with the mild reservation
lists" since the announcement at the
White House yesterday in the hope Of
dlsplacing the Lodge reservation with
the bipartisan reservation with their
help. The nine "mild reservationists,"
with the forty Democrats, would give
the bipartisan conference reservation
forty-nlne votes, or majority.
mild" Compromise Offered
The situation was thoroughly dis
cussed at the conference at Senator
Lodges house. The mild reservations
lists" promised Senator Lodge that they
would stand with the other Republican
Senators against the Democratic move
if they would be permitted to propose
the modified Lodge reservation as a
last-hour effort for a compromise. The
reservation upon which the mild res
ervationists" base their hopes of
final agreement follows:
"The United States assumes no OBJ
legation to preserve by the use Of its
military or naval forces, the economic
boycott, diplomatic means or eco
nomic or financial resources, the ter
ritorial integrity or political indepen-
dence of any other nation under the
provisions of Article x or to employ
the military or naval forces of the
| United States under any other arti-
Gle Of the treaty for any purpose, un-
less in any particular case the Con-
gress, which. under the Constitution,
| has the sole power to declare war,
shall, by act of joint resolution, SO
provide"
The reservation was drafted by the
"mild reservationists" and submitted to
Senator Lodge week ago. Last week