Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-01-30
SENATORS DEFER
PACT Compromise
CONFERENCE AGAIN
Leaders Are Prepared to
Make Final Concessions in
Desperate Effort to Reach
an Agreement

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.--Post-
ponement until tomorrow of the hi
partisan treaty conference was
caused today by the absence of Sem
ator Lenroot, one of the Republican
conferees. Illness in Senator Len
roots family made it impossible for
him to attend.
Publication of the contents Of the
reservations, as. they stood when
the conferences were interrupted
last week caused a furry of excite
lnent among the conferees. Mem
be.s of both sides accused those
OF the opposite party of having VIC
lated a pledge of secrecy imposed
on the conference when they began.
Senators outside the conference
said. however, that publication OF
the reservations, showing that real
progress had been made and that
an agreement was in sight when
Senator Lodge issued his ultimatum
would do much to convince the pub
lie that there would have been a
compromise if certain influences had
not been brought to bear to pre-
vent it.
Both sides were anxious to adjust
their differences so as to prevent the
endless debate and parliamentary
maneuvering which were believed
inevitable should the treaty find its
way back to the senate floor with
out concrete recommendations for
its ratification. Both factions also
were known to be seeking to draw
the fight to a close so that peace
might be proclaimed before the pres
idential campaign reaches its stride,
With two days recess in which the
conferes shall have had an oppor-
tunity to search out sentiment
among their colleagues to learn eX-
actly where they stood, it was be-
lieved they would go into the confer
ence prepared to stretch their pro-
posals until they reached a common
basis for compromise.
Should the bipartisan conference
result in compromise terms, it was
believed the treaty would find an
easy road through the senate as a
sufficient number of senators to in
sure it's adoption were expected to
support the program of their lead
erS.
If the meeting Friday is the last,
Senator Hitchcock probably will give
notice that ten days hence he will
move to take up the treaty in the
open senate for general debate.
Senator Hitchcock said today he
plans to give this ten days notice
so all senator's will have an oppor-
tunity to be on hand.
When the time comes, Senator
Hitchcock said, he will simply move
to proceed to consideration Of the
treaty. He is confident, he said,
that a majority of the senate will
support that motion.
In voting to take up the treaty
senators will not. of course, be
pledging themselves to any particu-
lar set of reservations, but only
helping to get things moving.
Senator Hitchcock said he plans
to prevent a program of reserVa-
lions as tentatively agreed upon by
the bipartisan conferees before the
conferees were interrupted. This,
he said, will furnish a basis to
start working from.
Senator Hitchcock said he will
ego to the senate with the treaty
in preference to supporting the Un-
derwood resolution for a concilia-
tioY committee, if the bipartisan
conferences fail.
Meantime it developed some Demo
cratic senators were inclined to the
belief thai nothing would be gained
by throwing the treaty back into the
senate in the near future. These
senators disagreed with Senator
Hitchcock that q majority would be
certain to support such a move, while
among Republicans it was confident
ly predicted it would fail.
1t was suggested should the un-
official bipartisan committee come tc
a final deadlock an effort might be
made to put through the resolution
of Senator Underwood. Democrat
Alabama, to create an official con-
Citation committee of the senators