The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-08-08
TAFT PLEADS FOR TREATIES
ASKS FOR PUBLIC PRESSURE
ON THE SENATE.

-
ON THE SENATE.
The President Contends That New Con
ventiOns In No Way Impair the Power
Of the Senate--W ants the Treaties Au-
proved Quickly-HOpes for More
MOUNTAIN LAKE PARK. Md. Aug. T.
President Taft carried his international
arbitration policy to the people to-day
obviously with the intention Of forestall.
ng opposition in the Senate to the treaties
with Great Britain and France now pend.
ing for ratification.
"To have these treaties not ratified by
the Senate of the United States" said he
-or to have any hesitation or discussion
Of a serious character in respect to them
would halt the movement toward general
peace"
The President also appealed for public
consideration and support for the treaties
with Honduras and Nicaragua which
provide for the refunding Of the debts
OF theee countries These latter treaties
he said, were from the standpoint OF
American interest OF greater immediate
Importance even than the arbitration
conventions.
The Presidents address was delivered
before the Methodist Chautauqua Society
here.
Il am not blind optimst," said Mr.
Taft, -or wild enthusiast in the advo-
cacy OF an immediate change OF human
nature as it exhibits itself in the indi-
vidual man or in the aggregation Of men
in human governments. realize that
moral changes among all the people and
in the countries Of the world take place
step by step and that progress is made
only by moderate advances from time
to time.
Twice in public addresses expressed
the view that arbitration as means of
settling differences between nations might
be greatly extended to include even
those things which have heretofore been
excluded. to wit. questions of honor and
Of vital interest. The eagerness and
enthusiasm with which those tentative
and informal proposals were received
by the great men of England OF both
parties and by statesmen of many other
countries are perhaps the most encour-
aging circumstances in . country for
those who have longed for the end OF war.
1t was not that the statesmen and the
nations thus welcoming the proposal in
tended to disarm or to stop their prepa-
rations for possible war. but it was that
they welcomed every attempt to SUBJ
stitute for war a peaceful means for the
settlement OF controversies between ma
tions with the hope that when the instru-
mentality shall have proved itself as a
substitute for war then the heavy and
bankrupting burdens of present war
preparation may be substantially reduced
Il have been surprised to note with
what fervor the plain people OF every
nation welcome the proposal of universal
ar bitration. OF course in a war it 10 the
common. plain people. that have to bear
most Of the suffering. They have to pay
most Of the taxes They have to do most
OF the fighting and they secure the lea 81
benefits and the least glory"
MIR. Taft then explained the arbitration
. machinery provided in the treaties in
! much the same manner it has been de-
scribed by Secretary Knox. He then
| took up the question OF the treaty makine 6
power OF the United States. with especial
reference to the Senate. He said
Il observe that there 10 some sugges-
tion that by ratifying this treaty the Sen.
ate may in some way abdicate its func-
tions OF treatymaking. ] confess myself
unable to perceive the substance in such
a point. The fact that the Senate has the
powef to make a treaty necessarily in.
wolves its power to bind itself as part oi
the Government to the obligations of the
treaty That is inherent in the treaty
making power.
From time immemorial government.
have bound themselves to abide the
judgment OF third parties in controversies
between them. In what respect does the
Senate treaty making power differ from
that OF the Executive or of any govern
ment in all times past that it may moi
agree on behalf of the nation to abide
the Judgment OF an impartial tribunal oil
by treaty TO esta blish a tribunal TO con
slider a certain class of cases and decide
them? One Of the commonest kind OF
questions that comes before any cour
is that OF deciding its own jurisdiction
In accordance with law.
! Treaties with England and France arr
OF the utmost Importance. not in the act,ia
prevention OF war between those coun.
tries. because the danger OF such a ca Ia
clysm az that is, thank God. most re-
mote. but they are most important al
| steps toward the settlement Of all inter
national controversies between all coun
tries by peaceable means and by arbitra
| ton. The fact that two great nation.
like Great Britain and the United State,
or like France and the United States
should be willing to submit all contro
versies to a peaceful and impartial tri
bunal cannot but work for righteousness,
among the nations and for a willingness,
on their part to adopt the same means
for the settlement Of international dis
putes.
ITO have these treaties not ratified
| therefore, by the Senate OF the United
| States or TO have any hesitation and
discussion Of a serious character in respect
to them would halt the movement toware
general peace which has made substantial
! progress in the Last ten years. To secure
! the ratification OF the treaties, therefore
appeal must be made to the moral sens,
| OF the nation and while that Is not entirely
| in the keeping of the churches. certainly
| they may exert a powerful influence II
the promotion cf any prospective instru.
mentality to secure permanent peace
Therefore invoke your aid as branch
OF the great Methodist Church to bring al
the influence you can bring to secure the
confirmation OF the treaties now made
and OF those which may be made here
after Of a similar tenor with other coun
tries. This movement has attracted the
attention not only Of England and France
but Of all the countries Of Europe and
also OF the Orient. II is not too much 70
hope that there are a numbers OF others
who will he willing now to sign the same
kind OF treaties as those already made
and that we NAV ultimately have n net