Omaha daily bee., 1921-09-23
Action On
Pact
Hits Snag.
Ratification Held Up By De
mand for Reservation to
Prevent Participation
In Commissions.
Lodge Consults Hughes
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha B~c Leased Wire.

By ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha bec Leased Wire
Washington. Sept. 22.-Adminis-
tra,ion efforts to hasten ratification
OF the German, Austrian and Hun
garian peace treaties were halted to.
day by demands in the foreign rela-
,ions committee for reservation TO
prevent American participation in
various international commissions,
notably the reparations commission,
set up by the treaty OF Versailles,
without the express consent OF the
senate.
Opposition 10 the treaty, led by
Senator Borah OF Idaho. assumed
such formidable aspect that Sena-
tor Lodge. republican leader and
chairman OF the committee, hurried
to the State department and held a
= long conference with Secretary Of
State Hughes. Although Mr.. Lodge
declined to discuss the result OF the
conference, it is understood that the
administration is not willing TO ac-
cept such restriction upon its action
rs that proposed by members OF the
foreign relations committee.
No Action Taken.
The committee, after several hou,S'
lively discussion. was forced to ad-
journ without action. Another meet
ing will be held tomorrow, at which
time Senator Lodge is expected to
lay before his colleagues report OF
his conference with Secretary
Hughes. 1t may develop that Mr..
Hughes will be asked to appear be-
fore the committee again to answer
questions concerning the treaty, al
though he conferred at length with
the committee last month when the
German treaty was first made public.
The line OF cleavage in the commit
tee over the terms of the treaties runs
closely parallel to the differences
which split the senate over the
Versailles treaty. The controversy
rcvolves largely about Washington's s
warning against foreign entanglc-
ments. Prospects are that sharp
parliamentary struggle will ensue
over the treaty and prediction was
made in some quarters that reserva-
tion to cover the points in dispute
would be included in the ratification
resolution.
Borah Starts Fight.
Senator Borah precipitated the con-
taovefsy when the treaty was for
s&nally taken up in the foreign rela-
tions committee. He called atten-
ton first to the section OF the treaty
reserving to the United States the
right to have representative upon
the reparations commission. He con-
tended that if this right were exer-
cised the United States would be-
come involved immediately in the
reparations disputes which form
the crux of the European problems
today. He asserted that if the
United States participated in the
reparations and the enforcement
thereof, it could not avoid entangle-
Inent just as deep as that involved
in the obligations OF the league of ma
tions.
The view was expressed in tho
committee that the administration
fully intended to exercise the right
to have representatives on the repara-
tions commission and probably on
ether commissions. At present, it
is represented only by unofficial OBJ
servers. Senator Kellogg 81 Min.
nesota stoutly defended the idea OF
having an American representative
on the reparations commission. Sen
ator Johnson Of California strongly
opposed such representation. SEN
ator Shields OF Tennessee, demo-
cratic irreconcilab1e, declared that he
would be unwilling to support any
provision OF the treaty which would
involve the United States in Euro
pean entanglements.
Point Covered.
Attention was called to the tact
that when the Versailles treaty was
before the senate, reservation on
the Lodge resolution of ratification
sbwas adopted to cover exactly the
point raised by Senator Borah. The
reservation provided that no person
was authorized to represent the
United States on any body or agency
established by the Versailles treaty
except by specific act of congress.
This reservation met with such
favor when the Versailles treaty
was before the senate that it was
supported by virtually every repub-
lican senator. Senator Borah con-
tended at the foreign relations COM
mittee meeting today, that its ap-
plication now is just as important as
It was then. If the committee does
not adopt the reservation, it probably
will be pressed in the senate.
Another objection raised by Sen.
ator Borah concerned the withdrawal
of the American troops from the
Rhine. He contended that under the
terms OF the treaty, the United States
might find itself under compelling
moral obligation to nla1tain an
army on the Rhine for years to
come. Administration spokesmen
assured him, however, that the troops
would be withdrawn immediately
upon the exchange of ratihcations
Of the treaty.
Robhors Steal Cti1la