The Washington herald., 1921-05-29
Discord Brings Barrier to
Ending State of
War.
MAY SUBSTITUTE
DRAFT BY PORTER
Lower Branch Also Balks
At Borah Amendment
To Disarm.

Discord. characterized in some
quarters as petty jealousy" be-
tween the -ouse and Scn1'" ""s
reached such proportions that 10
not only threatens to Keep tLe
United States in a technical state
of war with Germany, for an in
definite period. but also jeopardizes
the movement for naval disarma-
ment which the senate unanimously
adopted Wednesday.
The Knox peace resolution was
passed by the senate after long
and careful consideration Of form
and substance. In order to place
the United States on a footing of
peace with the other allied nations
at the earliest possible moment
the senate sat far into the night
to bring the measure to a vote.
A month has elapsed since the
measure was sent to the house
The house foreign affairs commit
tee has not yet held a meeting on
the resolution. although it Is
planned that a meeting be held
next week and predictions have
been made that the resolution may
get before the house the follow
ing week.
Opposed to Resolution.
Republican members of the COM
mittee. however, have already de-
termined to scrap the Knox reso-
luton. They declare they do not
like the language of the measure.
1t specifically repeals the declara-
tIon of war against the central
powers. They regard this as a re-
pudiation OF the war against Ger
many. In the place of the Knox
resolution they have agreed 10
substitute the resolution drafted
by the chairman of the committee,
Representative Porter, of Pennsyl-
vania. which simply declares the
war at an end.
Senators. when they heard of this
action yesterday, were indignant
at what they characterized as
merely a Jealous trick" on the
part OF the house and an attempt
to make an issue Of the differences
between tweedle-dee and tweedle-
dunn" They pointed out that any
peace resolution, IL effective, would
automatically repeal the declara-
tion of war. whether ii specifically
declared so or not. They traced
the beginning Of the friction to
personal jealousy between Repre-
sentative Porter and Senator Knox,
both of whom come from Pitts
burgh.
LsnE Delay Assured
Roth sides have already gone TO
the President with their troubles.
The President was understood to
have given his approval to the Knox
resolution. More recently he told
Mr.. Porter that he would accept
whatever solution the two houses
worked out. The whole controversy,
n appears Inevitable now, will be
thrown into long-drawn disputes in
conference and made the subject of
itermInable wranglinC while the
reuntrv remains technically at war
with Germany.
But an even sharper issue Is being
drawn between the two houses over
the disarmament question. Again
and again the senate had declined to
entanrIe the straightforward prop
ashton Of curtailing naval building
With the idea OF general military
ssarmamcnt. Now It appears. house
leaders have decided to enlarge the
scope'' CT the Borah amendment re-
ouestinr the President to enter into
1eeotaitons with Great Britain and
Japan for an agreement to cut down
naval building.
Plan General Holiday.
They propose to bring all other
important powers into the confer
ence in order that the whole ques-
tion of disarmament on land and
.ea in the air. and under the sea,
NAV he discussed. Representative
NondeII. republican leader. of the
houe. has had a conference with the
President on the subject and reports
that the President is not adverse -
the "pnlarging' idea. 1t Is their
nurpoSs to doctor the Borah amend
rnent in conference so that the qnes-
tion cf military disarmament can be
brought in.
Senator Borah declared yesterday
that the house plan would simply
mean the death Of the naval holiday
program. He said he would prefer
to have no disarmament amendment
at all rather than clutter II up
with the endless question of mill