The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-08-18
.PRES|DENT'SW|SHES
D|SREGARDED
SENATORS VOTE TO AMEND
BRITISH AND FRENCH
TREATIES.
Amendment Limits Powers Con-
ferred On Proposed Joint High
COmmission-Senators Reported
Piqued by Words of Criticism
Written Long Ago by Ambassador
Bryce.

Washington, Aug. 12.-Disregard-
ing telegraphed request from Pres
ident Taft for a contrary course, the
senate committee on foreign rela-
lions today agreed upon an amend
ment to the British and French ar
bitration treaties, eliminating the
provision comforting special powers
on the proposed joint high commits
sion. In this form the treaties were
reported to the senate and the presi-
dents wishes that the action be post
poned until next December were set
at naught.
Senate Gives Time
The senate gave two hours to con-
sideration of the treaties during
which the danger of old world DOM
nance on any joint high commits
sion was discussed. incidentally,
there was much talk about a criti-
cism upon the senate contained in
"The American Commonwealth, y
written by Ambassador Bryce long
before he ever thought of coming to
this country on diplomatic mission.
In that work Mr.. Bryce attacked the
senate on the ground that it kept
diplomatic trouble alive so long as
there was any political advantage to
be gained by so doing. Whether the
opposition to ratifying the treaties
un-amended could in any way be
traced to these utterances by one of
the principal signers of the conven-
tion between this country and Great
Britain was not manifested.
Before leaving Washington Presi-
dent Taft had made strong represel-
tations to individual members of the
committee, urging as vitality import
ant the retention of the provision
giving to the joint high commission
the right to 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 proposes to
amend is necessary to the proper OPP
Grafton of the agreement. The Pres
ident gave the senators to under
stand that he would not yield with
out a struggle, and his friends ex-
press doubt whether he would not
prefer the failure of the treaties
rather than ratification with the par
agraph eliminated.
There is much mystery about the
way in which the views of Ambassa-
dor Bryce, as expressed in his book,
were brought into the present con-
troversy.
Mail Carries Mystery
Each member of the foreign rela-
tons committee received in today .
mail a neatly-printed two-page PAM
phlet, quoting an extract from "The
American Commonwealth" in which
the opinion was expressed that a mi
nority in the senate usually controls
the action of that body adversely to
the will of the majority, in "nar-
row, sectional, electioneering spirit. "
In this connection was refernce to
fact that under the constitution a
two-thirds majority of the senate is
necessary to the ratification OF
treaties with foreign powers.
Both in committee and in the SEN
ate the characterization of the SEN
ate in Mr.. Bryce's work was referred
to, indicating hostile disposition on
the part of the Ambassador toward
the senate's exercise of it's functions
of ratification. The opinion was ex-
pressed that Mr.. Bryce's views had
had an undue influence in the forma-
ton of the treaty. 1t became evil
dent during the discussion of the
senate, Notwithstanding that it was
written without any possible refer
ence to the present contingency,
would be used against favorable &C
ton on the treaty by the senate.
Some of the opponents of the treaty
in the form In which it was present
ed went so far as to suggest that the
circular had been distributed among
the senators by friends of the treaties
with view to sustaining the Presi-
dents own position.
Old Werld Views Feared
The question of the British Am
bassador's former attitude was re-
ferred to at some length in the SEN
ate by Mr.. O'Gorman, the new sena-
tor from New York, who pointed out
the possible danger that might arise
through complete yielding to the
Views Of an Old World diplomat. MT
tO'Gorman did not indicate positive
opposition to the treaties, however.
To meet the desire for more IN
formation, Bourne entered . motion,
which the senate adopted, directing
the committee on foreign relations 70
prepare q written report giving the
fullest possible information. Both IN
N0m m }ftoo and fu The .nvna 80 Pear W4e