Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-02-13
58th CONGRESS-.
Senate Ratifies Treaties
With Amendments.
Wants to Be Consulted When
the Treaties Are Concerned.
Presidents Letter Sharply Criticized
The Routine CT the Day.

Washington. Feb. 1o-The Senate
IN executive session. Saturday. ratified
the arbitration treaties between tha
United States and el=ht European GOV
crnm"nts. 1t required two sessions tr
reach m agreement.
Al the first session consideration was
given To communication from the
Presto" mt 10 senator Cullen. chajrn,a ,
IT the foreign rcIatinnS committee. in
the form "f Il protest against any
1mcndm'nt beng adopted: at the sec
nnd session The treaties were amended
ana ratified with only nine votes
against the amendments made by the
C,nat- committee. on for, ign relations.
tn" SITUATION in the senate over the
arbitration treaties has been strained
for several w""fs. The first Protests
against the treaties We're made by sen
:itorS from sou: hcrn states. who sought
m Amendment which Nould preclude
III" possibility uf tha arbitration az
claims against their states by reason of
repudiltcd bonds.
Later il WAS suggested that m
amendment should 81 4IGcptcd viii III
I't'ls-'t Il btlt I ll'' NtiI'l IIisll or are -
merits" to treaty" in article ,, making
IN" article read as follows.
I'm each Individual case tie hich con
tracing parties. before appealing 10
~" permanent court of arbitration.
snail conclude 4 sprciIi treaty defining
r.r2rly the matter in dispute, the scope
y III" powers Cf the ~ b't''at tOrs and the
peril as to be fixrG for III, formation of
The arhitral tribunal and the several
stages of the nrocedure"
The Amendment answ rec the pur-
rose of the protests made hy the south
crn senators ard in addition to that
established the principle that any mat
ter in the nat3rc OF q treaty With a
foreign government mus. be consum-
'iatcd by the President with the con-
sent Of the Senate" In this form The
committee reported the treaties to the
Senate.
The troati"s werc cons idcred vester-
day. hIt no action taken beyond arriv-
ing at an agreement thar they would
again he taken up today.
The FIRST session Of the Senate tolav
VAS confined alnost entirely to Il lie
fence. ~ 2 haif dozen Sc onators. Of the
Senatc's right to amend treaties
The President was criticised eh1rnIv
because Of his letter declaring it To he
:. step rackwa, to ratify the treati,,
in form proposed by the Senate com
:rittec or FOREIGN relations
80 defence of the Presidents position
was taken until the second executive
session. when Senators Deliver. Fair
l'an'.s, Piltt. ;Conm. and Hopkins ar
2ucd against tie need or haste. They
t"o;; til" position that there are 40
questions inciud"d in the treaty which
could not pron-rly be submitted by exc
cutiVe agreement to arbitration
Senator pojl.rcr said that thece wcrn
some matters uf business that were
Pressing in the Senate. but that the
treItirS did nA. enter into the list. and
hat if they We're amended in the form
proposed the country would have no
further interest in them.
1t was areunl hy these senators that
al, ans ndm"nt onght to he directed. if
were necessary at all to
= better definition Of the class of uues-
tionG 10 be left to arbitration. rath rr
than by an amendment which put the
q: the United states in the
attitude Of ;tgr.hnG with foreign ma
lions in advarc" that III certain casns
I would max" treaties Of n bitration
1t w2s said that the obligation to 10
that w1G alr"liv upon us by reason Of
The Hrgue convention ANA the oft
repeated stIt''r"nt that i; is the ma
tion1l policy to &rbtrate.
The ratification Of these treaties. ii
Was argued. offered TO this government
th" best chance il was likely TO have IN
tiis e ncr1ton u do its share toward
th" abolition of the barhariSms Of war.
Aft'r the sprechcs by Senator's Pla't
If Connecticut. bollivcr ard F,irbanks.
o oticn To adjourn was made on the
ground that there was no need for
haSty action on the treaties.
Those who favored the amendment
This motion End on 4 roll cl1l
il vas de fcafCd.
(Continned on page ~