The Forrest City times., 1912-03-08


 made from Annapolis.
 The collier Leonidas had on board fifty tons Of coal which were secured rom bunkers of the Maine The coal had been exposed to the action of Sea water for fourteen years The naval academy scientists will use the coal for experimental purposes 10 find out 1T they can how much heating value remains in fuel after remaining Tn salt water for a long period Of time. There are some scientists. it IS said, who claim tbst the coal will be found to be better in quality than II vas before it's immersion, but the pre- ponderance of scientific opinion is that t will be found 70 have lost most or It's good qualities as fuel.
 May Open Senate Doors.
 The senate of the United States has In part at least discussed fn the open the arbitration treaties pending be- tween the United States, Great Britain and other countries. Ordinarily al most everything pertaining to treaties A9 AAo3A HHaEA III E&EtlAAht EtsHA1A HAAAA no one present but the senators. the clerks md the stenograp phers. "Execu- tive session secrecy" is not always secrecy, for frequently when the ses- sion Is over the facts of he debate leak out.
 It is possible that this discussion of arbitration in part openly may be the entering wedge for the opening 70 the public of all so-called executive sessions, although 1t is not at all probable that complete publicity will come for some years.
 Some time ago the senate was dis eussing 2 treaty with Santo Domingo. As usual the session were secret, but as secret sessions they proved to be broadly fareical The senate sat be- hind closed doors and on this Santo Domingo occasion not only the pub- lle and correspondents, but the clerks and even the reporters were ezclud- ed. Somehow or other nearly all the proceedings of the secret meeting were reported in full in the newspaper of the next day. and since them some proceedings of the senate which or in the past would have been held behind close doors were open 10 the public The tendency is more and more to do away with secret sessions.
 Secrets Are lnviolate.
 When the senate sits h executive session for the consideration Of the confirmation of appointments to office made by the president the secrets of the chamber are kept inytolate. No one thinks of asking a senator about protests that might have been made against the confirmation of any man. Neither would any one think Of asking him how the senators voted on the question Of approving the choice of the president. The senators wouldn't teu f they were asked Aside rom their implied promises 10 hold safe he secrets of the room, they have LOO much at stake personally to justify them in answering questions or ia giy- ing information voluntarily.
 Nominations have been refused ap- proVal because of he objection of a single senator who held that the man named was distasteful 10 him person ally. It is a sort of do this for me and I'll do t for you some day" propo- sitfon n the case of treaties and other matters which the senate may feel called apon to discuss in private the thing Is different The whole public is interested D the proceed tngsl and he public for many years has been unable to understand why t should not know he views of its rep on questions of national importance As a matter of fact, the public generally has discovered these views. for the senators will ak. Near " every new and comparatively new senator $ n sympathy with the open meeting idea The belief is that Il will prevail before long.
 Tn lis day Charles Sumner was an ardent advocate of open senate ses- sions for all of the business except that of the confirmation of appointees 10 office. Even the strength Of Sum- ner, however, failed 10 move the sen ate Since his day individual senators have tried and tried again tn secure the consideration of treaties in open session but the trying failed.
 Capp Is lroricaI
 Some years ago Senator Moses P. Clapp Of Minnesota introduced an irouieal resolution calling for open sessions. The members were consid- ering an Isthmian canal matter, and full reports of everything that was said in the secret session were ap- bearing daily in the newspapers The Clapp resolution was to the effect that the Minnesota senator had dis covered that one newspaper man had made a mistake of one word in q se- cret session report which was six col. umns long. and it asked in the inter. est of accuracy that the newspaper correspondents be admitted to the yaL leries during the executive sessions
 It Is matter of truthful history that Senator Hoar took the resolution