14 FEBRUARY 1920, Page 3

The party leaders at Washington are still trying to arrange

s compromise in regard to the Covenant, which blocks the pad of the Peace Treaty in the Senate. Senator Hitchcock, the Democratic leader, announced last Saturday that the President declined to accept Senator Lodge's reservations, but would agree to Senator Hitchcock's own suggestions. The effect of these would be, according to the Times correspondent, to make Con• grass the sole judge of America's right to leave the League ; tc withdraw immigration, tariffs, labour, and other domestic ques. tions from the League's sphere of activity ; to reserve the Monroe Doctrine ; to provide that American forces should not be used without the consent of Congress ; and to declare that, in a dispute affecting Great Britain, the Dominions, or India, none of their representatives should vote. It is not for us to pronounce on the relative merits of Senator Hitohcook's and Senator Lodge's reservations. The Allies, we believe, would welcome America's appearance in the League of Nations on almost any terms, as Lord Grey of Fallodon has said.