Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-09
BUSY TREATY MAKER
Uncle Sam in One of His Vari-
GUS Roles.
HOW He MAKES THEM
A TANaLE OF RED TAPE TO BE
GONE THROUGH.
Documents That Have Made History
and Altered the Geography
Of the World.
HOW He MAKES THEM

1t Is the worlds treaties that alter its
geography, make the important epochs in
! its history, blot out barbarism from the
map, and, incidentally, develop that great
| code, binding the nations, which we call in
| ternational law.
We are busy treaty makers just now
| are stretching out our hands more widely
! than we have since the boys of '9S altered
| for us the maps of the old and new worlds.
| The Panama treaty provides for the con-
summation of the dream of de la Serna.
| after nearly four centuries of controversy.
Our treaty with China, just ratified. and
| another with Japan, awaiting ratification.
| will give us four treaty ports instead of
| one in Manchuria, and vastly expand our
| commercial influence in the heart of the
| region which Russia SO greedily covets as
| her exclusive sphere OF supremacy, military
as well commercial.
There are many steps in treaty ma king.
| The negotiation of these instruments is. all
| told, the most picturesque of our official
transactions.
The Plenipotentiaries.
The first step Is the appointment of pleni-
| potentiaries. commissioned to draw up and
| sign the instrument. For ordinary pur-
poses, in pacific times. one plenipotentiary
| appointed for each government is cons;d-
| cred sufficient, but peace treaties-drawn
| to end hostilities between nations-are
| usually negotiated by more than two
agents. The President is not limted-Sdve
| by the Senate's confirmation-as to whom
| they shall be or as to their numbers. OF
| course. 1t would be considered discourteoIs
| to the other contracting party were the
| President to select plenipotentiaries OF IN
| ferfOr position. Peace treaties npgC-
| tiated usually in some neutral country and
are source of expense to the contracting
states. inasmuch as the agents have 20 be
| paid fees and supplied with secretaries as
| well place wherein to deliberate.
| But ordinary treaties with a commercial
| end in vlew-like that just negotiated with
! the infant state Of Panama-are usually
| signed at the capital of one Of the contract
| ing governments. They are drawn by the
secretary of state of the home government
| or his equivalent, and the regular d'p]o-
matte representative of the foreign power
! party to the transaction. Thus Secretary
| Hay acts our plenipotentiary In the
1 signing of all treaties drawn at Washing
| ton, the other agent being the minister or
| ambassador regularly accredited here by
| the foreign nation party to the contract
Exchange of Credentials.
The plenipotentiaries of both powers hav-
| ing qualified, their first act Is the exchange
| of credentials, each presenting ID the other
| his power of attorney, so to speak. certi-
| fed to by his secretary of state or minister
of foreign affairs. The credentials of for
| egn plenipotentiaries are very elaborate
and verbose. Those supplied to our agents
| are inscribed at the State Department by
| skilled penman upon big sheets of linen
| paper, larger than foolscap. The finest Of
| pens and the blacklist of inks are employed
| for this work and when one OF the sheets
| is finished it is well nigh imposs Die 10 cIs-
| tinguish 1T from plate engraving. There Is
| a form for these credentials which always
| open in this wise:
| Theodore Roosevelt,
| President of the United States.
greeting:
| know We, that reposing special trust and
confidence in the integrity, prudence and
ability Of, etc, etc.
The President signs at the bottom and the
| Secretary of State indorses below his sigma
| ture Thus Mr.. Hay very often has had to
| vouch for the integrity, prudence and
ability" of himself.
| The next step is the drafting of the
| treaty to meet the mutual approval of the
| plenipotentaries Then comes the final
| writing of the instrument, which Is done In
| duplicate The language employed in all
| treaties between civilized states was orig
| inally Latin and later French, as that
| tongue became the language of diplomacy
| But it is the present general practice for
| any two countries using the same tongue to
draw their treaties In their own language.
! Our treaties with non-Englsh speaking
| countries are usually drawn with two coll
| umns on each sheet. one being In Enslish
| and the other in the language of the other
| contracting nation. The copy to remain
| on file in Washington is signed first by our
| plenipotentiary, while the duplicate, to be
| sent to the capital of the foreign party to
| the contract is signed first by the agent
| of the latter.
"Words, Words, Words"
Tho onaninp laneuape of our treaties diff
fers. The famous treaty of Paris, which
terminated the revolutionary war. opened
in this wise:
vided Trinity.
TT having pleased the divine Providence
to dispose the Hearts of the most Serene
and most Potent Prince George the third,
by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain,
France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith,
Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, arch
treasurer and prince elector Of the Holy
Roman Empire, etc, and OF the United
States of America, to forget all past msun-
derstandings." ETC.
I'm the Name of Almighty God" was the
opening OF the treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican war
Modern treaties drawn at Washington
break more directly into the business. The
closing clause is usually after this form:
I'm faith whereof We. the respective pleni-
potentiaries. have signed the convention
and have hereunto affixed our seals. Done
at Washington, in duplicate, this - day or
- A. d. -" Then follow the signatures,
one above the others, with the seals of each
in wax. Before the hot wax is dropped
upon the page two pieces of narrow SILK
ribbon-striped lengthwise with red, white
and blue-are laid across the paper. The
seals are placed over this, each signer using
his personal signet. Seals of foreign pieni-
potentiaries invariably contain Their herat
die insignia. do many of our own
agents But when Henry Clay signed the