New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-13
PEACE TREATIES
MAY LOSE POWER
Senate Committee Reports Them
Amended, with Vital Clause
Stricken O,t.
Mr.. TAFT'S WISHES IGNORED
Presidents Request That Action
Be Delayed Unless Pacts Were
Ratified as Signed Is
Disregarded,
Mr.. TAFT'S WISHES IGNORED
From The Tribune Bu, ,au. ]

Washington. Aug 12-The Senate, or
at least so much Of II as comprises the
Committee on Foreign Relations. struck
q vital blow al the cause CO universal
peace to-day, when. disregarding the
urgent wish of the administration. u
amended the pending peace treaties Win
Great Britain and France by striking
out the third clause Of Article III thus
robbing the proposed joint high commits
sions OF all power finally 20 decide
whether or not any controversy which
might be referred 10 IL was iusticiaoie
within the meaning OF the conventions.
Following is the clause which the Sen
ate is asked by the committee to elm
mate:
Il is further agreed, however, that ~
cases in which the parties disagree as
to whether or not difference IS SUB.
ect to arbitration under Article OF
this treaty, that question shall be SUP
r,itted to the Joint high commission OF
inquiry: and il all or all but one OF the
members Of the commission agree ano
report that such difference is within the
scope OF Article ! il shall ee referred 20
visions Of this treaty.
The Secretary Of State had made an
earnest argument against the contention
OF certain Senator's that this provision
violated the constitutional authority Z
the Senate as a Part Of the treaty max
ing power of the nation. and when he
was unable TO persuade the members ~
the baselessness OF their contention he
had urged that all action he deferred
until next winter. convinced that N the
mean time the members of the commit
tee and Of the whole Senate would come
10 see the force Of his argument and the
groundlessness Of their fears. When the
Secretary Of State left the Committee on
Foreign Relations last "Wednesday il was
with the expectation that the members
would at least accede 10 his request that
no action on the conventions be taken
for the present.
Senators thmselves. following the
meeting Of Wednesday, predicted that the
entire subject would 80 over for mature
deliberation and action under circum-
stances more favorable 10 calm consid-
grafton than those attending the closing
hours Of a trying session. the greater
part of which had been made douoiy
turdensome by the excessive heat. since
then the effects Of the Presidents speech
al Mountain Lake and Of the almost
unanimous commendation Of the press
irrespective Of party affiliations, have
begun 20 make themselves felt. and IL Is
row believed that the hasty action of
the committee was due. at least In large
part. 20 the fear that before the regular
session popular sentiment in support of
the conventions would become so aroused
as TO make their amendment practically
impossible.
one Of the most determined opponents
Of the conventions in their present form
vas Senator Bacon. of Georgia. but hard
" less so was Senator william Alden
Smith. Republican. of Michigan. There
was a time when Senator Root ques-
toned the constitutionality of the con-
ventions but after he had made care
ful ANALYSIS of the toxts. his fears that
they could not be approved were dlssi-
pated.