The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-08-30
does in the future this should be
treasured as long white mark in his
favor. He not only breaches politi-
cal purity, but he practices it. Good
for Kenyon.
ARBITRATION siDETRAckED.

ARBITRATION sIDETRAckEo.
The hope that the British and
French arbitration treaties might find
plain sailing in the senate is not to be.
realized The senate committe OH
1 foreign relations has ordered "a fay-
orable report on the treaties-with
their most significant and important
Feature eliminated. The modification
! was opposed by President Taft, who
!also made plain his preference that
no report be made at this time if rat
LITIGATION could not be recommended.
1.-The majority of the committee evil
Identity was not averse to giving the
president a black eye that would be
lconspicuous internationally as we'll as
nationally. So a part of the admins
ltration program that has attracted
! Favorable attention the world over is
Ito be sidetracked. There is slim pos
Isibility that two-thirds majority can
now be mustered for the unamended
> treaties, and as nobody is especially
interested in passing them as amend
ed it may be assumed that there will
be no further effort in their interest
until the regular session. President
Taft will hope that in the meantime
sentiment may develop in support OF
the treaties to such an extent that
further blockading may threaten I'M
pleasant political effects during the
1912 campaign.
1t is not at all surprising that a
proposition carrying SO much poten-
Itial prestige for the Taft administra-
ton should come to grief in the SEN
ate. A majority of that body is hostile
to the administration and keen for
putting Taft in the hole" as has been
,, demonstrated frequently of late. Also
the senate always has been finical in
the ratification OF treaties and eager
to improve upon executive accomplish
ments. Even if there were no polit-
ical motive apparent at this time II
would be hard for the senate to re-
sist the temptation to take hand in
the actual making of the pacts. This
is particularly true in view OF the fact
that the pending conventions do to
some extent, as claimed by the oppo-
sition, subordinate the prerogative OF
the upper house in dealing with in
Iternational agreements. 1t is not true,
however, that the constitutional pow
Ter of the senate over treaties is ig-
lnored in the pending measures. On
the contrary. under the original draft
no arbitration agreement could be-
come effective without the explicit rat
ification OF the senate. e4>-s, ]
The joint high commission clause
illuminated by the senate marks the
chief advance offered by the proposed
treaties over the arbitration treaties
now in force. In the existing treaties
the signatory nations have the right
summary to refuse to arbitrate any
matter held to involve national hon
orr Under an exception so broad
in scope government might justify
refusal to arbitrate any question when
for more sordid reasons it was disin-
lclined to take into court. The TAFT
treaties do not attempt to force the
Arbitration of questions involving ma
ltional honor or even national policy.
The Taft plan comedies that there are
big questions that cannot be arbi-
trated under any circumstances. and
it leaves room honorably to avoid OBJ
legation toward such arbitration. The
great net gain found in the proposed!
treaties lies in the fact that the pro-
cess of Cancellation cannot be dropped
as soon as one disputant claims the
question in dispute is not arbitrable.
To begin with, the assumption is
that all disputes, without exception,
may be settled amicably. If one dis
putant draws away from arbitration,
on the plea of national honor or what
not, it is provided that the discus
sion shall not be dropped until after
the question whether or not the dis
pute shall be arbitrated has been re-
lfered to a commission composed OF
three representatives of each nation.
This commission is to investigate both
sides of the case. If five Of the six
members agree that the question is
suitable for arbitration then both
sides are bound to arbitrate. If two
Representatives of the Directing gov
eminent hold out against arbitration
the commission is powerless, and the
dispute may run its ordinary course,
terminating in war. 1t is wholly I'M
believable that two of three American
representatives would ever agree to
arbitrate the Monroe doctrine or any
great vital policy. The joint commits
sion plan is important mainly be-