The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-11
ARBITRATION OF
NATIONS BLOCKED
Upper House Of Congress Takes
upon Itself the Duties Of
State Department.
PRESIDENT STATES THE
CASE TO SENATORS
Points Out to Cullom the Effect
Of Their Attitude upon
Arbitration.
Special to The Journal.

al O1tIdtlOu.
Special to The Journal.
- Chicago, Feb. 11.-In Washington
special to the Record-Heral Walter
Wellman says:
Thanks to the senate, the United
States government is about to give the
principle of International arbitration a.:
slap in the face. It has been decided
definitely by the administration that
the pending arbitration treaties shall
not .become operative if the senate In
sists upon its amendment requiring
every arbitration agreement to be sub
mitted to that body for approval. In
asmuch as the senate stubbornly holds
it's ground the treaties may as well be-
considered dead.
And the administration is now con-
fronted with this serious problem: ID
it practicable to carry on the foreign
relations Of the government with ninety
assistant secretaries Of state in
the senate exercising equal power with
the president Of the United States and
his secretary Of state in determining
what shall or shall not be done, and
practically with any one Of the ninety
holding veto over the executive
branch of the government as to every
compact sought with another nation
Now that the whole question of the
relations existing between the admin
istration and the senate under our ps-
culiar form of government has come up
for discussion, the Importance Of this
looked. Years ago knowing member
of the upper branch of congress ex-
claimed in an outburst Of frankness: s
What we want is a government of the
senate, by the senate, for the senate.'s
There are signs that this is the sort OF.
government the country is now getting.
Scored by Roosevelt.
Washington, Feb. President
Roosevelt hasraddressed q letter to Sem
ator Cullom, chairman of the COMMITTEES
stion Of that committee in amending the
sat bitration treaties by substituting for
the word agreement the word
treaty is in his opinion not step
forward, but q step backward. IL the
word g treaty" is substituted the
treaties would amount to a specific an
nouncement against the whole principle
Of q general arbitration treaty.
The president also says that If, in the
Judgment Of the president, an amend
ment nullifes a proposed treaty, il
seems to him that it no less clearly is
his duty to refrain from endeavoring. to
secure a ratification Of the amended
treaty. The president says:
On the Substitution.
II the word agreement" were re-
tanned it would be possible for the de-
partment OF state to do as, for instance
it has already done under The Hague
treaty in the Pious fund arbitration case.
with Mexico, and submit to arbitration
such subordinate matters as by treaty
the senate had decided could be left to
the executive to submit under juris-
diction limited by the general treaty OF
arbitration.
n the word treaty be substituted the
result is that every such agreement must
be submitted to the senate, and these
general arbitration treaties would then
cease to be such. and. indeed, In their
amended form, they amount to specific
pronouncement ags INST the whole princi-
pie Of q general arbitration treaty.
senate's Right and Duty.
The senate has, OF course. the absolute
right to reject or to amend In any way
It sees fit any treaty laid before 1t, and
it IL clearly the duty Of the senate to take
any step which. in the exercise Of its best
Judgment it seems to be for the interest
Of the nation.
II, however. in tho Judgment Of the
president, given amendment nullifes, q
proposed treaty, 1t seems to me that 1t Is
no less clearly. his duty to refrain from
endeavoring to secure ratification by
the other contracting power or powers. OF
the amended treaty; and after much
thought I have come to the conclusion
that I ought to write and tell you that
such is my judgment in this case.
Treaty an Empty One.
AS amended we would have a treaty Of
arbitration which In effect will do moth
ing but to recite that this government.
will when it deems 1t wise hereafter enter
into treaties Of arbitration. Inasmuch
as we Of course now have the power to
enter into any treaties Of arbitration.
and inasmuch as to pass those amended
treaties does not in the smallest degree
facilitate settlements by arbitration, to
make them would in no way further the
cause Of international peace.
It would not in my judgment. be wise
or expedient to try to secure the assent
of the other contracting powers to the
amended treaties, for even If such as
cent were secured we should still remain
precisely where we were before, save
where the situation may be changed .
little for the worse.
Not Benefit Accrues.
There would not even be the slight
benefit that might obtain from the more
general statement that we intend here-
after. when we can come to an agree
menr with foreign powers as to what shall
be submitted, to enter into arbitration
treaties; for we have already, when we.
ratified The Hague treaty with the vari-
| Gus signetory powers, solemnly declared
such to be our intention: and nothing Is
gained by reiterating our adherence to
the principle while refusing to provide
any rneans OF making our intention. eff
fective. S
In the amended form the treaties con-
| tain nothing except such expression OF
barren mention, and indeed, as COM
pared with what has already been pros
vided for The Hague arbitration treaty.
they probably represent not step for
ward but slight step backward as re-
CARDS the question Of International arbi-
| tration. AS such dos not think that
| they should receive the sanction OF this
government.
Personally it il not my opinion that
/ this government lacks the power tosen-
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