The Washington herald., 1921-06-15
Conferees Instructed to
Fight House Draft to
Last Ditch. -
INDICATIONS POINT
TOLONG DEADLOCK
Porter Resolution May
Be Attacked on Con-
stitutionality.

The senate yesterday fatly re.
fused to accept the house substitute
for the Knox peace resolution, and
sent both measures to conference.
Instructions were given to the SEN
ate managers to insist upon the
senate draft of the peace resolution
and to oppose substitution of the
so-calIed Porter measure to the last
ditch.
All signs point to a prolonged
deadlock over the measure. The
administration. 1t is clearly indicat-
ed. will refuse to intervene in the
controversy. President Harding, II
Is understood. is desirous that the
two houses should work out a solu-
tion to their difficulties without ex-
ecutive interference. The admins
tration, according to reports at the
capitoL Is in no great hurry for
final adoption of the resolution, and
In fact would not be greatly disap-
pointed IL IL were held up in con-
ference until the European situa-
tlon clears up more satisfactorily.
Knox Opposes Porter.
Senator Knox, of Pennsylvania,
author of the senate resolution, and
his fellow 'townsman, Representative
Porter, author of the house resoIu-
tion, will clash head-on when the
conference begins The senate yes
terday appointed Senator Lodge,
Senator Knox, republicans. and Sem
ator Hitchcock, democrat, as its
conferees. The house will appoint
Representative Porter. Representa-
tive Rogers, of Massachusetts, re-
publicans. and Representative Flood,
OF Virginia, Democrat, as its man
ayers.
The senate by its action yesterday
clearly indicated that II will pin
all its faith in the Judgment OF
Senator Knox. its foremost interna-
uonal authority, who drafted the
peace resolution after long and
careful study of all the legal intri-
cacies interviewer in the declara-
tion of peace. Senators feel conn
dent that Senator Knox, with his
wide experience as secretary of
state and attorney general, was bet
ter equipped to draft a resolution
of such far-reaching importance
than Representative Porter.
Fear Attack In Courts.
The senate conferees are expected
to take the position that the con-
stitutionality of the Porter resolu-
ton may be gravely questioned and
that 1t may throw the way open for
ceaseless litigation. Senators point
out that the right of congress to
repeal one of its own acts, as the
Knox resolution provides, is un-
but that the power of
Congress to assume the functions of
a treaty-making body and declare
the war at an end may be open to
attack In the courts. They are
anxious to close up all loopholes
by which the United States might
be Kept in a purely technical state
of war with Germany.
Leave Mandate to Council.
1t was asserted in ton
quarters yesterday that this gov
ernment has made its position clear
on the mandate issues In Secretary
Hughes notes to the four principal
powers, and that IL will not heed
the invitation of the league Of ma
tions to send a representative to
the conference on this subject. Pres
dent Harding and Secretary Hughes
believe the mandate questions
should be settled by the supreme
wherein the United States
is already represented by Ambas-
sador Harvey.