New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-22
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
IRON The Tribune Bureau.l

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington, August 2l
THE PEACE TREATIES.-senat Root
submitted to the Senate to-day minority
report on the general arbitration treaties
with Great Britain and France, accom-
panied by the resolution of ratification al
ready outlined in this column and which
declares il TO be the sense of the Senate
that the treaty does not authorize the
submission to arbitration of any question
which depends upon or involves the main
tenance OF the traditional attitude of the
United States concerning American ques-
tons or other purely governmental policy.
Mr.. Roots report is signed also by Senator
Cullom. The Senator from New York begins
his report with an unequivocal dissent from
the opinion expressed in the majority re
port. saying: we do not consider that the
pending arbitration treaties involve any
abandonment Of the constitutional power
OF the Senate. The contrary view cannot
be maintained on the theory that all gen.
eral treaties of arbitration involve such
abandonment and no one thinks that Is
so" Mr.. Root then goes on TO point out
the difference between a special arbitration
treaty. dealing with a specific case, ana
general treaty Of like character providing
that all cases falling within certain de
scribed classes shall he submitted saying
this is what is done i'm the case of the eX-
isting treaties with Great Britain and
France The question of whether specific
cases fall within the described class when
Il has been agreed TO arbtrate, Mr.. Root
declares. may be submitted TO arbitration
and such admission lis not delegating to a
commission power 10 say what shall be ar
bitrated: il is merely empowering the com
mission TO find whether the parilcula- case
is one that the President and the Senate
have agreed shall be arbitrated. In illus
tration, Nj Root points to the lnterpreta-
ton OF the descriptions i'm tariff laws which
is delegated to collectors Of customs. etc.
REASON FOR RESOLUTION.-After as
sorting his conviction that, as has been
maintained by the President and the Secre-
tarv Of state. questions of policy are pre-
cuded by the language of Article Of the
treaties. and that We're it otherwise he
would vote for the amendment proposed pV
the majority, Mr.. Root remarks nat III
view Of the fact that any MISUNDERSTANDING
regarding the scope and purpose of the
treaties would be deplorable he oeheNes al
possihilitv of such misunderstanding can
and should he averted by adopting as
part of the ratification resolution the IAN
guage no suggests, above quoted lilS'
he points out, would obviate the necessity
of amending the conventions, and Woulo dI
the same time affirm the opinion ana ui-
Outstanding of the Senate To he that "nlcI
IL is asserted by the Secretary OF state Is
the understanding Of the negotiators OF the
conventions and Of tho foreign o'''V
which have given them their approval.
Such A clause being included IN the Iori"d'
ratification will advise the other part! q.
o,rr construction" he remarks, ana VIII
be accepted as the true construction
THE Bt-RTON REPORT.-Senator h''l
ton submitted TO the Senate to-day re
mort which he signed himself ana Mui'
supports the treaties precisely rs ra''i't'.
Mr. Rurtou's views as to the meaning ..
tho treaties accord entirely with uhoSe "
Mr. Root and of the administrator i''
rejects the proposition that they lnVoiVc q"
unconstitutional delegation of power by 'ne
senate and maintains, as was maln'aIH'u
IN this column recently, that Article ! vi
tho conventions so far governs their scope
ard nurport as to preclude the arblrauoh
Or tho Monroe Doctrine and like questions
e noIicv lie further maintains that the
co,,ato ,youId he within its rights If 1t re-
ioctod any special agreement which ola
NOT conform to Article J, but he lays even
,e INN
tba senate would ever be called on TO exer-
else that right, Cor, as he points OUT II
a most remote probability that two Amerl-
can members of the proposed hlsh Jolii'
commission could be induced to decidI
iusticiable any of the questions Whlch nave
been suggested as coming 50 completely
without the scope Of the treaties d. i"
make their arbitration Impossible MI
Burton does not believe 1t necessary 10
adopt any special form OF resolution ol
ratification 10 make clear the purport Oh
the treaties. but he suggests that such i
q feasible scheme for allaying the fears OF
certain Senators, OF making assurance
doublv sure. and on the ground that III
treaties between nations as well as IN con-
tracts between individuals it is desiraDle
that every possible ambiguity OF language
should be removed and the meaning OF lhe
terms of agreement made absolutely clear
from all Of which It will be seen that Sena-
tors Root and Burton are in practical ac-
cord However. Mr.. Burton MAKES the
point that the Senate is neither CONSISTENT
nor logical in its objection to asserting 10
the arbitration Of all questions within pre-
scribed limits for, he shows IN approx
ing the existing arbitration treaties the
Senate did this very thing, merely specify
ing certain questions which would not DE
submitted to arbitration, but showing
willingness to limit in advance the power
of the Senate to object to the arbitration
Of a large number of questions e
from which he argues that 1T must neces-
sarily be concluded that neither the Senate
nor the majority Of the committee consider