The Topeka state journal., 1905-01-12
OPPOSES AMENDMENTS.
President Threatens TO Withdraw Ar
bitration Treaties.

Washington, Jan. 12.-If the arbi-
sratton treaties now pending before
the United States senate are e1nascu-
lated, the president will withdraw
PRESIDENT Roosevelt let this be un-
derstood clearly.
At the conference between him
and prominent members of the senate
and house he informed the Senator'S
that he desired the arbitration treaties
to be ratified In his opinion, such
action is Of the highest Importance.
me me treaties now pending were
negotiated by Secretary Hay, with the
representatives of the powers, and all
OF them were signed in Washington.
Ihe conventions entered into were
with France, Great Britain. Germany,
Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain and
Austria-Hungary. The president and
secretary Hay felt, in negotiating
the treaties, that a long step toward
universal peace, had been taken. Both
nave expressed surprise that an atti-
tude inimical to the conventions
should have been assumed by some of
the senators.
The president has impressed upon
members of congress, particularly of
the senate, that he regards the arbi-
tration treaties and a formidable navy
as the best assurance of peace the
United States could possibly have.
me treaties are opposed in their
present form by southern senator's
who do not wish. to have their states
involved by reason of bonds held
abroad and which have been repud-
lated by the states.
In connection with the subject of
these treaties the president has ad-
dressed the following letter to Senator
CulIom, chairman of the committee
on foreign relations:
White House, Washington, Jan. 10, 1906
My Dear Senator Cullom:-I notice in
connection with the general arbitration
treaties now before the senate the sug-
hrvy h.a~
that under them it might be possible
to consider as matters for arbitration
claims against certain states of the
Union in reference to certain state
you personally know that under no
conceivable circumstances could any
such construction of the treaty be for
moment entertained by any presi-
dent. The holders of state debts take
them with full knowledge of the con-
stitutional limitations upon their re-
coVery through any action of the ma
tlonaI government and must rely solely
on state credit. Such a claim against a
state could under no conditions be sub
mitted by the general government as a
matter of arbitration. any more than
such a claim against a county or NUM-
cipaltty could be thus submitted for ar
bitration. The objection to the propos-
ed amendment on the subject is that
it is a matter OF surplusage and that it
is very undesirable when the form of
these treaties has already been agreed
to by the several powers concerned,
needlessly to add certain definitions
which effect our international policy
only; which deal with a matter of the
relation of the federal government to
the states which it is of course out of
the question to ever submit to the ar
bitration of any outside tribunal; and
which it is certainly absurd and proba-
bly, mischievous to treat as possible to
be raised by the president or by any
foreign power. No one would ever think
of such a matter as being one for ar
bitration or for any diplomatic negoti-
alton whatever. Moreover, these treat
les ran only for a term of five years
until the end of that period they viii
certainly be interpreted in accordance
with the view above expressed. Very
truly yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT