Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-08-07
FOUR TREATIES MADE PUBLIC
Senate Adopts Plan Of Giving Out
Text Prior to Its Action.
BoRAH AND BACON DIssENTERs
Fear Expressed that Compulsory Ar
bitratiOn f. Provided, Tending
60 Deprive senate of Con-
stitutIonaI Prerogative.

| TeCelNeu action at ltS handS. lnese were
the Anglo-American and the Franco-Ameri-
can general arbitration treaties, and the
treaties providing for the adjustment OF
the finances and customs Of Honduras and
Nicaragua.
| Publicity was given TO the important con-
ventions at the request OF the admInstra-
ton, which desires that the subject matter
shall receive the fullest consideration by
the press and the people in order to en-
tighten the senate as to the real sentiment
of the country as a basis for its own ac-
ton
Some justification for this procedure de-
veloped yesterday when IN the course OF a
short executive session two senators Of op-
posite parties, Borah Of Idaho and Bacon Of
| Georgia, voiced their dissent to the con-
clusion of the arbitration treaties in the
forms submitted. Their criticism was aimed
at Article III, identical in the two treaties)
which in their opinion provides for COM
pulsory arbitration. and thus tends to de-
prive the United States senate of its con
stitutional perogative. The treaty advo-
| Gates. however, felt that there had been a
misunderstanding of the scope OF the treaty
! by the two senators named and that q
clause in Article l of the treaties which
provides that there shall be no arbitration
except under the terms Of a special agree
ment effectively guards the rights of the
senate as such special agreement shall re-
ceve the senate's sanction in order to be-
come operative.
Referred to Committee.
| Aside from a few minutes talk in COM
mittee and a very snort debate in execu-
tive session of the senate the treatment
of the subject was purely formal. The SEN
ate went into executive session almost as
soon as it convened for the purpose of re-
ferring the treaties, which had been re-
ceived from the president yesterday, to the
committee on foreign relations. Probably
they would have been made public at the
same time had not Chairman COLON, voic-
ing suggestion by Senator Root, taken
the ground that it would be better to per-
init the committee first to inspect the docu-
ments. The committee met this afternoon
and adopted the resolution to make the
treaties public, which received the immedi-
ate approval of the senate when that body
again went into executive session shortly
afterward.
The British and French treaties are sub
! stantially the same, with the exception of
| the preambles, some small differences in
dates of existing treaties referred to
ences between the treaty making methods
Of the two governments. One important
provision OF the British treaty requires
the British government to obtain the CON
currence of any OF it's self governing do
mains affected by the proposed arbtra-
| ton.
No Date for Consideration.
No date has yet been set for the con-
| sideration of the treaties by the senate
committee on foreign relations, In the Or
binary course 1t will meet next Wednes-
day, but there are indications that In view
| OF the short time remaining of the present
session, one or more special meetings may
be called before that day. 1t is impos-
sible to predict what the senate will do
with the committees report when 1t is
made, but in view OF the great pressure
of important legislative matters. II will
be easy 10 prevent ratification of these
| treaties during the present session IL any
considerable degree of opposition develops.
| In view of their Importance, 1t IS init
mated that a motion may be made to
ratify them in the open senate. an almost
unprecedented procedure.
rext of Treaty.
The test OF the British treaty which is
|
with the following exceptions above noted,
| Is as follows:
The United States Of America and his
majesty the king of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and ireland and of the
British dominions beyond the seas, emperor
of India, being fully DESTROYS of perpetu-
ating the peace which has happily ex-
listed between the two nations as estab-
lished in 1914 by the the treaty of Client.
and which has never since been inter-
rupted by an appeal to arms and which
has been confirmed and strengthened in
| recent years by number of treaties
whereby pending controversies have been
adjusted by agreement or settled by arbi-
tretion or otherwise provided for so that
now for the first time there are no import
| ant questions OF difference outstanding be-
tween them and being resolved that no fu-
ture differences shall be cause OF hos
| tilitles between them or interrupt their
| good relations and friendship.
The high contracting parties have, there
fore, determined in furtherance of these
ends, to conclude treaty extending the
scope and obligations OF the policy of arbi-
tration adopted In their present arbitration
treaty of April 1. 1905, so as to exclude
certain exceptions contained In that treaty
and to provide means for the ultimate solu-
ton OF questions of differences which It
shall be found impossible in the future to
settle by diplomacy and for that purpose
they have appointed as their respective
plenipotentiaries: The president of the
United States of America, the Hon. PHI
lander c. Knox, secretary OF state Of the
United States, and his Britannia majesty,
and the Right Hon, James Bryce, o. NJ,
his ambassador extraordinary plenipoten-
tiary at Washington; who, having COM
munlcated to one another their fun powers,
found in good and due form, have agreed
upon the following articles:
Article An differences hereafter
arising between the high contracting
parties, which 1t has not BEEN possible
20 adjust by diplomacy, relating TO inter-
national matters in which the high con-
tacting parties are concerned by virtue
of a claim of right made by one against
the other under treaty or otherwise, and
which are justifiable in their nature by
reason of being susceptible of decision by
the application of the principles of law
| or equity, shall be submitted TO the per-
manent court OF arbitration established
at The Hague by the convention OF Oc-
tober Is, 1907, or to some other arbitral
! tribunal as may be decided In each case
| nv snecfal agreement which sDeciaI agree