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Show tLEADEBS TO RESUME PEACE TREATY DEBATE Hitchcock Calls Party Conference Confer-ence to Consider Points to be Raised on Senate Floor WASHINGTON, Feb. 6. Plans of party lenders for resumption of the peace treaty debate began to take form today, although It was said there probably would bo no definite decision is to precedure until tho treaty is called up for consideration Monday. Senator Hitchcock, acting Democrat-j Democrat-j ic loader, returning to Washington I after a week's absence, called n party ; conference for Saturday to consider : some of tho points likely to be raised iwhen the treaty comes back to the I senate floor. On the Republican side there were numerous consultations among tho leaders, but It was said no final plan was adopted. Wilson Influence To Be Felt Indications developed today that tho influence' of President might again be felt in the senate controversy. It bo-came bo-came known that he had been in com- munlcatlon Indirectly with some Dom-ocratlc Dom-ocratlc senators nnd tho Republicans heard a report which Senator Hitchcock Hitch-cock declined to discuss, that a letter setting forth the executive's views on compromise reservations had been sent to the Democratic leader. The White House also took notice during tho day of the recently published publish-ed letter to Viscount Grey former British Brit-ish ambassador to the United States in regard to reservations, officials close to the president indicating unofficially that they felt the ordinary diplomatic courtesies would have suggested that this government be consulted before such a document vas rnndo public. While taking the position that they did not caro to specifically deny them, White House officials said there was ' no foundation in fact for reports that . the president know of the Grey letter j prior to its publication. I Reports that the lexer's publication had led to diplomatic representations by the this government, were denied at the state department. Grey Letter iscussion Among senators the Grey letter con-tinuel con-tinuel a subject of widespread discussion, discus-sion, apparently forecasting that It would play a prominent part in next week's debate. Although thero has been no formal agreement between Republican and 'Democratic leaders regarding the mechanical me-chanical progress of getting the treaty back before the senate, It is expected on both sides that when it is called up it will be referred to the foreign relations rela-tions committee, which Immediately will report it without any attempt to frame reservations. This step, it was expected, will be merely a technical one In order to get the treaty out from under the cloture attached to It Just before il failed or ratification in November. "Talks With British" In discussing today Viscount Grey's letter. Senator Hitchcock revealed that he had ttalked over the question of reservations with the British statesman states-man before the latter's departure from this country. The senator said that most of the conversation related, however, how-ever, to the reservation regarding voting vot-ing power in the league, Viscount Grey indicating that It would be acceptable to London but would be expected to bring strong protests from the colonial governments. Lord Grey Careful "Lord Grey was very careful In bis conversations, concerning tho treaty and all proposed reservations while in this country," Senator Hitchcock added. add-ed. "He said the only reservations which concerned his country directly was that which declared that the United States would not be bound by any decision or election in which the colonies cast separte votes. This reservation res-ervation did not affect the mother country, but he thought the colonies migU strongly object at having their voting right thus attacked." 00 |