Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-08-13
SENATE FEARFU Ill
Of OLD WORLD
DOMINANCE
ARBITRATION TREATIES
RADICALLY CHANGED
Scant Attention Paid to Earnest
Request of President AM
baSSador Byce'S "AmericanI
Commonwealth" Rises tOI
Haunt Him,
TBy Morning Journal Special Leased wlr,. 7

ny morning Journal Special Leased Wire.
washington, Aug. l2.-Disregard-
ing telegraphed request from Presi-
dent TAFT for contrary course, the
Senate committee on foreign relations
today agreed upon an amendment to
the British and French arbitration
treaties, eliminating the provision con-
terring political powers on the pro-
posed Joint high commission. In this
form the treaties were reported TO the
senate and the presidents wishes that
the action be postponed until next
December was set at naught IS
The senate almost Immediately gave
two hours tn consideration of the
treaties. during which the danger Of
old world dominance on any Joint
high commission was discussed. Incl
dentally there was much talk about a
criticism upon the senate contained in
The American Commonwealth,
written by Ambassador Bryce long be-
fore he ever thought of coming to this
country on diplomatic mission. In
that work MIR, Bryce attacked the
senate upon the ground that II kept
diplomatic trouble alive so long as
there was any political advantage to
| be gained by so doing. Whether the
opposition to ratifying In treaties un-
amended could in any way be traced
& these utterances bv one of tn prin-
cipal signers of the convention be-
tween this country and Great Britain
was not manifested.
In any event no conclusions were
reached by the senate and the general
opinion among senators seemed that
the treaties would receive very little II
any further consideration in this ses-
zion of congress.
The telegram from President Taft
was sent from Beverly and was receiv-
| ed by Chairman Cullom prior to the
session of the foreign relations COM
mittee
1t was addressed to the committee
and requested that II the treaties were
to be amended that action should be
postponed until December. Before
| leaving Washington President laIt
| had made strong representations to
! Individual members OF the committee
urging rs vitally important the reten-
| tiUn OF the provision giving TO the
| Joint high commission the right 10
determine disputed questions without
reference to the senate.
Both President Taft and Secretary
| Knox have taken the position that the
paragraph which the committee on
| foreign relations purposes to amend Is
necessary to the proper operation or
| the agreement. The president gave
senator's to understand that he would
| not Weld without Il severe struggle
! and his friends express doubt whether
he would not prefer the failure OF the
treaties rather than ratification with
| tho paragranh eliminated.
There is much mystery about the
manner in which the views OF Ambas-
sador Bryce expressed In his book,
were brought into the present contro-
yersy Each member of the foreign
relations committee received In TO-
| days mail neatly printed two page
pamphlet, quoting an extract from the
| ''American Commonwealth in Whlch
| the orinion was expressed that mn
norty in the senate usually controis
the action of that body adversely 10
the will of the majority in "a narrow
sectional electioneering spirit III
! this connection there was reference
| to the fact that under the constitution
| a two-thirds majority of the senate
] was necessary to the RATIFICATION OF
treaties wit. foreign uoWers Both III
| committee and in the senate tne
| Characterization of the senate In MT
Brvce's work was referred to as indl-
eating a hostile disposition on the parl
| M tha ambassador towards the sem
ate's exercise of its functions OF ratill-
cation. The opinion was EXPRESSED py
several that Mr.. Bryce's views had
had an undue influence In the Ioriia.
| tion of the treaty. 1t became eNlueh'
durinp the discussion that TINS cru
cism or the senate, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
that Il was written without any pos
sibIe reference to the present con-
| tingency. would be used against taVor-
able action upon the treaty by the
! senate. Some of the opponents OF the
treaty in form In which 1t was pre-
sented went so far as Ia Suggest that
the circular had been distributed
among senators b. friends OF the
treaties. with a view TO sustaining tho
presidents own position.
The question of the British ambas-
sador's former attitude was referred to
at some length in the senate by Mr.
| OGorman, the new senator from New
| York, who pointed out - possible
danger that might arise through
complete yielding to the views or an
old world diplomat.
! Mr.. O'Gorman did not Indicate pos
| tive opposition to the treaties, how
ever
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