Evening star., 1921-05-07
KNOX RESOLUTION
CAUSES FRICTION
Senate Disturbed Over House
Holding Up Peace Measure
for Administration.

There is friction between the House
and Senate leaders over the Knox
resolution repeating the declaration
of establishing technical peace. Sem
ate leaders are vexed with the House
because it has not accepted the Senate
resolution without cavil. House lead
ers are irritated against the Senate
because it sent the resolution over so
hastily, at time when the House was
not ready to take it up. and in form
known by senators to be distasteful to
the House.
The parliamentary advantage rests
for the time being with the House.
The resolution is in committee and Is
likely to remain there for the present.
Chairman Porter Of the House COM
mittee on foreign affairs. told his COL
leagues that he has not made up his
mind when he will ask the commit
tee to take 1t up.
What is really happening is that
the House is handling the resolution
in accordance with the wishes OF
President Harding and Secretary or
State Hughes. The administration at
titude favors the soft pedal on the
Knox resolution pending the critical
situation Of the hour on the German
reparations compaign of the allies.
That is the crux of the delay at the
House end of the Capitol. Otherwise
it would be easy enough to amend the
resolution to suit the House and
thrash out the differences in confer
ence.
Some Favor House Demand.
In point Of fact. there is sentiment
among senators fayoring the House
demand that the resolution shall not
repeal the declaration of war. but
shall merely declare peace. 1t was
expressed in open debate in the SEN
ate. particularly by Senator Townsend
of Michigan. and his views are known
to be shared by other senators.
The irrecOncilable group Of senators
are thought to have been responsible
for the action of the Senate COM
mittee on foreign relations. IN jam
ming through the Knox resolution in
its existing form.
The view is said to be held by some
of that group that the House has not
so much latitude Of jurisdiction over
the peace resolution as is vested in
the Senate by the contention that 1t Is
really identified with the Senate's
powers to ratify peace treaties This
ls classed as = novel proposition and
Is not admitted by the. House leaders
in any respect.
Gall to Irreeoncilables.
The holding up of the Knox reso-
luton and the action Of the admin
istration in accepting the invitation
of the allies to have representatives
of the United States present at the
meetings of the supreme council Of
tho ambassadors and Of the repara-
tions councils, is gratifying to that
element in Congress and in the ad-
ministration which has held all along
that the United States cannot get
away entirely from the Versailles
treaty. but must eventually take cog
nizance Of IL in some way.
Secretary Of State Hughes is work.
ing on that subject diligently and
President Harding is known to have
thus far declined to accede to the
view that the Versailles treaty must
be absolutely discarded. All Of which
is gall and wormwood to the irrecon-
cilables. who insist that the treaty
must be rejected in toto and that
the United States shun the league Of
nations and all its works.