New-York tribune., 1911-09-25
TAFT HOPEFUL ON
RECIPROCITY DEFEAT
Many Agree with President That
No UntoWard Results
Will Follow.
FAR FROM UNMIXED EVIL
Rejection of Agreement Removes
Apprehension, and Most Tim
orous Now Unaffrighted
by Canadian Spectre.

by Canadian Spectre.
rFron, n stan Correspondent Of The Tribune.
Baldwin. Kan. Sept. 24.-As the smoke
Of the battle clears away from the cana
dian polling places there Is, OF course
much speculation on the effect whlch the
defeat Of the agreement may have on tue
political fortunes of President TAFT ana
not a little surprise at the equanlmltS
with which the President has accepted the
result. There is naturally wide variance
OF opinion regarding the political effect OF
tho defeat. but with the cheerful optimism
vh,ch never fails Mr.. TAFT does not
believe any lntoward results Will foilo"'
and there are many in this part Oh the
country who are beginning to accept thiS
view. which the Executive has taken from
the first The newspapers which are op-
posed 10 Mr. Taft are seeking TO read li''o
his reference yesterday TO being init pe-
tween tho eyes" a deep significance ana
are drawing the inference that MT lai'
feels he has been very hard hit sucn an
Inference is, however wholly unwarranted'
II was reciprocity and the closer trade rela-
tions with Canada which he hoped to Sc
cure which we're hit between the eyes,
according 10 the Presidents view, and not
himself at all
'I made the agreement because l be-
lieved It to be good thing for this coun-
try-indeed for both countries MI lai'
told the great audience in the St Louis
Coliseum last night. when the agree
ment had been made l promised the Ca
madam ministers that / would do every
thing in my power to secure It's immediate
ratification | was bound by a solemn
promise, and | had no alternative nut 10
call the Congress in extra ordinary session
and urge the passage of the enabling act
Congress passed that act. We kept the
faith. We made good our promise. Now II
the Canadian electors haven't had the fore
sight TO perceive the benefits which would
have accrued TO both countries from the
agreement, or if they were frightened into
by the thoughtless ana silly
talk of annexation, that is their fhislol-
tune rather than ours. Certainly we nave
nothing with which TO reproach ourselves.
We have done our part and done IT prompt
ly and cordially, and l am exceedingly
glad that We have no reason TO teel thdl
tho agreement was defeated through any
fault Of ours.
Significant in World Politics
Only those who fully understood the fun
darnentaI motives which actuated the Presi-
dent and the Secretary of State to enter
into the agreement have carefully compre-
hended why its defeat is not more OF dis
for ii may now be SAID that
the agreement had far more significance IN
the game of international politics than from
an economic point of view. Both the eX-
treme sensitiveness OF Japan and the almost
hysterical apprehensons of Canadian tories
have precuded an entirely frank discussion
Of this phase of the agreement while it was
pending, although it had been hinted at in
the columns of The Tribune
When the Canadian agreement was rati-
fed # will be recalled. there was In force
between Great Britain and Japan a treaty
which constituted an offensive and defensive
alliance between the great powers, and had
this country become involved In war with
Japan. Great Britain would have been
hound under the terms of the contract 10
lend military assistance to its Oriental ally.
Under such conditions, as may be easily
u,
tween this country and Canada the more
deterrent must Canadian senti-
ment have proved in Downing street.
Actuated by desire to promote the
cause of universal peace, President Taft,
after the negotiation OF the Canadian
agreement, entered into the negotiation
Of the general treaty OF arbitration with
Great Britain which was recently signed
at Washington. Possibly the administra-
ton builded better than II knew. At all
events. the negotiation II that treaty was
promptly followed by an act both generous
and progressive on the part Of Japan.
That nation voluntarily proposed so TO
modify its treaty with Great Britain as TO
relieve that country from all obligation
of coming to the military support of Japan
should Japan become involved in war with
any country with which Great Britain had
general treaty Of arbitration, and the
terms of the British-Japanese treaty were
80 modified. II only remains, therefore.
for the Senate to approve the general ar
hltration treaty with Great Britain 10
validate the step which Japan undoubt
edly proposed chiefly out of friendly con-
sideration for the United States.
1t will be seen, therefore, that the inter
national considerations which constituted
so powerful factor I'm the negotiation OF
the Canadian agreement and which i'm
PEELED the administration to exert its in
nuence to secure its approval by Congress
have undergone a material change. With
the ratification of the pending treaty with
Great Britain they will have been entirely
eliminated. An appreciation of these facts
will go far to make clear the Presidents
earnest insistence on the ratification of
the arbitration treaties and the modera-
ton Of his disappointment over the failure
OF the Canadian agreement.
President Won't Play Politics.