The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-13
Provision Is Necessary

Both President Taft and Secretary of State Knox have taken the position that the para graph which the committee on foreign relations purposes to amend is necessary to the proper operation of the agreement.
 The President gave senators to un- derstand that he would not yield with out a severe struggle His friends ex- press doubt whether he would not prefer the failure of the treaties ra ther than ratification with the paragraph elim- mated The suggestion has been made that the President may even go so far
 as to withdraw the treasies, but some of
 his closest friends are authority for the statement that instead he will un-
 dertake to defeat the suggested amend
 ment.
 There is considerable mystery about the
 manner in which the view of Ambassador
 Bryce, as expressed in his book, was
 brought into the present controversy
 Each member of the foreign relations committee received In todays mail 8
 neatly printed two-page pamphlet quot ing an extract from 'The American Com monwealth, in which the opinion was expressed that a minority in the Senate
 may control the action of that body ad versely to the will of the majority in "a narrow sectional, electioneering spirit" Both in committee and in the Senate the characterization in the Senate of MT. Bryce's work was referred to IS indicat- ing a hostile disposition on the part of .he ambassador toward the Senate's eXer- else of it's functions of ratification. The opinion was expressed by several that MT. Bryce's views had had an undue infiu- ence in the formulation of the treaty. It became evident during the discussion that this criticism of the Senate. notwlthstand- iDP ia ttor x.rifb sible reference to the present contingency, would be used against favorable atcion on the treaty by the Senate. Some of the opponents of the treaty, in the form In which 1t was presented, went so far as to suggest that the circular had been dis tributed among senators by friends of the treaties with view to sustaining the Presidents own position.
 The. question of the British ambassa- dor's former attitude was referred to at some length in the Senate by MT. O'Gor- man, the new senator from New York who pointed out the possible danger that might arise through a complete yield ing to the views of an old world diplomat MT. O'Gorman did not, however. indicate positive opposition to the treaties In ad-
 dition to referring to MT Bryce's views he said some portions of the documents before the Senate apparently were con 1icting, while others were obscure to him.. He expressed the opinion that the Senate should study them with great care and said some light should be thrown upon them before asking the Senate to Ivote. s | To meet the desire for more information Senator Bourne entered a motion, which the Senate adopted. directing the com mittee on foreign relations to prepare a written report giving the fullest possible information.
 Opens Many Dangers
 Both in the House and Senate fear
 was expressed that the ratification treaties would have the effect of throw ing open the doors of arbitration to all the questions involved in dealing with such oriental nations as China and Ja-
 pan and involving immigration and admission to the public schools. Sem ator Borah and other western senators pointed out to the foreign relations committee this danger. On this account as well as for other reasons, MT. Borall moved the cancellation of the para . gra ph comforting extra privileges on the joint high commission.
 The Idaho senator contended that so long as the Senate was deprived of power to pass upon some questions the commission could determine even these problems and argued that 1t would moi be wise to leave such matters to the decision of board which probably would be dominated by old world views. He pointed out that the pro- visions of the Root treaties of 1908