Tillman works the Washington conference from the margins

Tillman is unlikely to become a principal signatory because a prominent public role did not match his preferred political method. As naval-committee chairman, however, he could plausibly obtain a pass or minor-delegate status with broad access to the conference's diplomats. His disciplined faction included senators and representatives whose yards depended on continued naval work. He could therefore promise Senate support for a treaty while insisting that its limits preserve construction, employment, and Democratic control of Congress.