Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-04-21

Wins Opening Battle.
The Harding administration through
reclassification of the treaty won its
| first fight in the senate. The president
| IN a message to the special session Of
the senate. March 8. five days after his
| inauguration, recommended ratification
| as very helpful at the present time in
| promoting friendly relationship
| This recommendation was supple
mented Wednesday by Senator Lodge of
Massachusetts. the Republican leader,
who in reply to attacks of Republican
| senator's of the progressive group. de-
| clared ratification of the pact was part
of great national foreign policy con-
! templated by President Harding ''to-
wards our neighbors in the southern
and eastern hemispheres.'
Coalition is Formed.
Forty Republicans were joined by %
Democrats in voting for ratification
One Republican, Page, Vermont. and
three Democrats Shields. Tennessee;
Owen. Oklahoma, and Walsh. Montana,
were paired in its favor. Two Repub-
lican senator's. Elkins, West Virginia !;
and Newberry. Michigan, were absent
and not voting.
In the roll calls on Senator Rorah's
amendment to exculpate this nation and
its agents from any wrong doing in ac-
quiring the canal. three Democrats vot-
ed with 36 Republicans. on the first
call. and with - Republicans ON a sec
ond call. These Democrats were Ken
drick, Wyoming; Reed. Missouri. and
Watson, Georgia. Nine Republicans
who first voted for the Borah amend
ment later voted in opposition These
were Dillingham;, Vermont: Vernald
Maine; Keyes. New Hampshire: Ladd.
North Dakota; Lodge. Massachusetts.
Mckinley. Illinois; Spencer. Missouri:
Sterling. South Dakota, and Sutherland.
West Virginia.
Lodge Changes Front.
murmur swept the chamber when
Senator Lodge changed front on the
amendment. A milder demonstration
mad occurred when he supported it on
the first call. Senator LaFollette. Re
publican. Wisconsin, who supported
most of the other amendments pro-
posed. voted loudly in the negative on
the Borah amendment
The Poindexter amendment to cut
the indemnity to Colombia from S25.-
100000 to S15.OOO,OOO was Supported
by sixteen Republicans and six Demo
Gratis.
The final vote ended eight days of
debate, the treaty by agreement hav-
ing been taken up by the senate imme-
tdlately after the convening of the
SIXTY seventh congress in extraordinary
session. Opponents of ratification.
composed largely of what is known in
the senate as the Progressive Republi-
can group. were vigorous in their de-
nunclation of the pact throughout the
discussion. They declared that its
acceptance would place a stain on the
name of Theodore Roosevelt, would be
useless squander of public money.
ana would amount to compliance with
a blackmail demand on the part of
colombia" Senator Lodge, who with
Senators McCumber. North Dakota.
borah. idaho; Brandegee. Connecticut:
and Fall. then senator. from New
Mexico. joined in an adverse report
against the treaty as negotiated in the
foreign relations committee in 1917,
led the fight for ratification. His
tchange along with that of other Repub-
mean senator's from opposition to the
original treaty to advocacy of the
amended pact, was one of the points |
OF attack by the progressive Repubh-
can group.
Improve Relations, Plea.
Supporters of ratification declared |
mat the treaty would improve the !
relations of the United States with |
Latin American republics, would salts
y demands equitably made by Colom-
nia, and would aid the United States
IN the world quest for oil. In connec-
Ilon with the last argument, Senator
Lodge in the first address of the de-
pate, read letter from Secretary of
,ne q Interior Fall, former Senator Of
New Mexico, urging ratification MS
essential to the successful competition
Df the United States with Great Britain
N obtaining Colombian oil concessions.
democratic senator's for the most
part refrained from discussion.
In closing debate today, Senator's
Norrls, Nebraska: Wadsworth, New
iork: Cummins, Iowa; Kenyon. Iowa,
Ind Borah, Idaho. Republicans, and
LHal, South Carolina, Democrat, spoke
2 opposition to ratification, while
senator's Lodge, Sterling, Republican,,
Dakot and Smith, Democrat, | ,
south Carolina. urged acceptance Of
ne apacf u