Norwich bulletin., 1922-02-14
WASHINGTON AFFAIRS
(speciaal to The Bulletin)

position to the ratification Of the con-
ference treaties has melted away far
more rapidly than has the snow from
Washington's streets.
Aaffairs at the capitol have taken on a
new phase and at this moment there
seems to be scarcely a bakers dozen
senators ready to say they are against
ratification Of the conference work.
This came to light very forcefuily the
day President Harding presented the
treaties to the senate and personally ex-
planned his Interpretation Of the posi-
ton IN which ratification would place
the United States.
After the president left the capitol,
which was late in the afternoon, big
groups OF newspaper correspondents
gathered around senators whose Influence
is powerful and whose views had been
extremely positive either for or against
thetreaty of Versailles. The senators
selected for such interviews included the
leaders of both the republican and DEM
| ocratic side of the senate With but
few exceptions those men wholly endors-
| ed the treaty as 1t came from the pres
| ident; the exceptions to wholesale
| dorsement made 1t clear that hesita-
! ton did not mean disapproval. It
meant an open mind. The democratic
| senators who a month ago said to your
| correspondent that they would rather
see Senator Underwood deTlosed from
floor leadership than fall into line with
him and support the treaty, today spoke
4 respectfully of the work of the con-
| ference and made it clear they, for the
most part would support the treaties In
| the form presented today.
inst what has brought this change
| about is a Disputed question. Did
| President Wilson reainquish hope of hold
| ing his former followers in line and so
release them from any obligation they
naoght be under to him? Did they find
| Senator Underwood had a stronger hold
| on the democratic leadership than they
| supposed when they gibly said ooh.
| there are others who can lead" or Is it
] popular sentiment in favor Of the treaty
! that has brought the democrats into the
line Of ratification in spite of what they
said a month ago7 Today one of their
| leaders said to your correspondent: THE
| last few weeks of the conference made
! the change. The way the Shantung mat
ter was settled, the stand 1t took on
| submarine and poisonous gas warfare
! and many things concerning the Far
! East have proved the conference to have
accomplished much good and we dem
ocrats are ready to give it our approx
al. We do not entirely agree with some
| of the matters involved, but we believe
It has accomplished so much that for
the most part We shall support the
treaties sent to the senate" The for
egn relations committee will consider it,
POSSIBLY some reservations may be surg
gested, and then it will come before the
senate for discussion and ratification
by at two thirds vote. The previous sug-
gestion that the treaty would not be dis
cussed until after all other business was
out of the way does not seem likely
now. Neither republicans or democrats
} today seem inclined to delay action,
and unless many senators completely
!; turn turtle on the opinions expressed
| today the treaties will be practically I'M
| the 4 power pact. and opposition to
that is not believed sufficient to defeat
. it.
: Foremost among the senators who
were irreeonciliables on the Versailles
treaty but who will vote to ratify the
! conference treaty at least in part is Sen
| ator Bra ndegee. The Connecticut SEN
ator Will make no statement for publica
ton, and when your correspondent ask
ed him today If it were safe to count
: hi mas a supporter Of the treaty, Mr.
s Brandegee smiled and 81 haven't studied
n | the treaty yeti But men who stood
: with him on the Versailles treaty, and ar
in close touch with Him are authorit!
for the opinion that is very general here
, | that Mr.. Brandegee will support praetic
;. ally all of the treaties presented b,
L | Mr.. Harding with the possible exception
y of the four power treaty. Another ir
: reconcilable who will support at leas
= a part of the treaties brought to tn
4 senate is Senator Borah. At the inter
view which followed the departure o
no en-
" already made up my mind to vote 70
II the treaty reducing naval armament. I
G on study, I find the president IS cor
e rect and the other treaties do not in
s volve us in international complications
= I shall vote for them, If I do not agre
# with him, I shall vote against them.
The impression here Is that Mr.. Bora
= will support all except the four powe
e pact. And SO we might continue a
q along the line of former bitter ender
y on both sides of the chamber Sena
e tors Moses of New Hampshire, Poin
II dexter of Washington and a score G
v others have already placed themselve
- on the treaty support" side of tn
: question and the very general opinio
around the capitol today is the ther
L will be nothing more than individus
= opposition In few cases, and that ne
% a dozen votes can be mustered agains
d the conference work, when the final vot
10 is taken.
Commenting on the outcome Of I'll
conference, Representative Merritt Il
day said in answer to questions, 'I thin
my opinion was best explained by NJ
Al Balfour, who remarked to me, 1t ha
y exceeded the hopes Of its most sanguir
advocates Mr. Merritt said that the da
the conference closed he had the gre:
st pleasure of being a luncheon guest
lie Mr.. Putnam, librarian Of congress ar
where Mr. Baffour was the guest
honor. Mr.. Merriee added that Mr.. Ba
four had many complimentary things
say og the way the American del
u gates and the president handled IL
D. conference, and learning that Mr.. Me
rift was from New England, said th
he had hoped to visit New England c
H. this trip and expressed great regret TIL
he he must return to England without
or doing.
Congressman GIynn said today "Tl
most optimistic friend Of the conferen
II would not have dared to hope or
?. predict such a successful outcome as h;
resulted"
Congressman John O. Tilson, of Co
necticut, has been given a very respo
w sble position on the subcommittee
of the ways and means committee In r
gard to the proposed soldier bonus TIL
~ sub committee will frame the four-fo
plan and make 1t workable. There seer
to be some misunderstanding as to he
~ that plan would work out, IL soldie
OIL after having selected which Of the TO
ng specific benefits he would take, shou
change his mind and want to enter a