The San Francisco call., 1905-02-13
Action ON Treaties
Means an Open
Rupture.
Executive Will Drop All
Arbitration Negotiations
With Europe.
Saturdays Vote Makes Secretary Of
State Hay Only a Clerk Of the
Upper House.
Special Dispatch to The can.


CALL BUREAU, POST BUILDING,
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12-That the
President will follow the line of action
indicated in his letter 10 the Senate and
refuse to exchange ratifications with
ether countries on the arbitration
treaties is regarded here as a foregoine
conclusion. The treaties are dead and
the Senate is willing to accept the re-
sponsibility for killing them, believing
that it has at last seized what it has
so long strived fOr-the treaty making
power Of the Government. Hereafter
no arbitration can be undertaken with
out the Senate first putting on the sug-
gestion its 20. K" mark; nor can the
President take any initiative during
the life Of the present administration
IN the direction Of improving Ameri-
can foreign relations or removing fric-
1ion with other nations without first
consulting the Senate.
The approval Of the Committee on
Foreign Relations no longer counts.
because Secretary Hay had obtained
that before he negotiated the treaties
just killed. The Government, no mat
Ter how pressing may be a matter of
international Importance, must wait
until the Senate meets and votes its
retary Of State has, by the action of
the Senate yesterday, become little
more than that of clerk of the Senate.
The opinion was expressed to-day by
g very important officer of the Govern
ment that time had come when no
treaty could be negotiated with any
foreign Government until it had first
been sent to the Senate and ratified.
EFFECT OF SENATE'S ACTION.
This is a revolutionary change in the
practices of the United States. Here
tofore the State Department having
negotiated a treaty, it has been signed
by the Secretary of State and by the
diplomatic representative of the con-
tracing Government and then sent TO
the Senate When the Senate ratified
il the treaty has been transmitted TO
the contracting Government and rati-
fications have been exchanged. But
SO frequent has become the practice of
The Senate in amending treaties, thus
rendering them Objectionable, that it
IS likely that hereafter before a treaty
is signed in the negotiations it will
have TO be passed upon by the full
Senate.
But more interesting to Washington.
because il is nearer home, is the ques-
tion as to what the effect of the Sem
8te's revolt viii be on the influence of
the President with Congress on other
matters. There is no Disgusting the
fact that the Senate has been planning
for a long time some expression Of in
dependence Of the President. The
Santo Domingo incident intensified
this desire.
But other things conspired to bring
about the revolt. One of them was the
1nsistence of the President upon rate
legislation Many Senator's rejoiced at
The opportunity Of bNnging about a
breach between the President and the
upper house Of Congress for the pur-
pose of stiffening the backs of many
who were inclined 10 be under the
Presidents influence.
DRAMATIC SECRET SESSION.
other Presidents have had favorite
projects squelched by the Senate. but
no President in this generation. wise
men of the Senate say, has ever been
rebuked as President Roosevelt was
yesterday That rebuke was drastic
historic, caIoric. Its effects was more
noticeable to-day than last night.
Many features are now manifest .hat
serve TO emphasize the firm determina-
tfon Of the Senate TO teach the Presi-
dent a lesson" The executive sessions
preceding the final vote are described
as the most dramatic in the memory of
those who have been Senators for twen-
" years. Such intensity of feeling.
sentiment, have not prevailed on any
other similar proposition since the
Civil War.
The criticism and censure OF the
President were absolutely non-parti-
san. While all Democrats voted TO
amend the treaties, all Republicans but
nine did the same thing. There was
no apparent differences in the manner
Of expressing the conviction that the
President was trying TO take away the
constitutional rights of the Senate.
LODGES VOTE A SURPRISE.
The action OF Senators Lodge.
SDooner and Foraker, all close friends
of the President and his spokesmen in
the Senate. attracted unusual atten-
fion. All three recited the friendship
they felt for the President. They told
Of their intimate relations. All ex-
pressed keen regret that their Nlths
end consciences would not permit them
10 sustain the President IN the pending
matter. Lodge was especially dramatic
when he declared that under his oath
he could not vote in accordance with
the Presidents wishes, at the same
time speaking with sincere regret of
conditions which. under ordinary cir
cumstances, would dictate that he act
otherwise.
IT was said to-day by those in close
touch with all public events that the
agreement for the protection Of Santo
Domingo through supervision of that
HnonroS had M effect on