Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-06
PEACE PACTS MEET FAVOR
Debate in Senate Indicates Treaties
Will Be Ratified.
OPPONENTS AIM AT ONE CLAUSE
smith Raise. aue.tIen whether
American Policy I'm Cuba viii
he Threatened by the Proposed
Asreemknn.

WASHINGTON. March s.-Four hours
debate In the senate today seemed to in-
dicate that the pending arbitration
treaties with England and France proba-
bly, would be ratified late tomorrow. The
ratification will be the contamination OF
what many statesmen view as the first
great move toward universal peace
The target for the opponents Of The
treaties Is the much discussed Clause
OF Article Ill. Some senators hold that
lthis section delegates treaty naking pow
Iers OF The senate 10 q Joint high comnlis-
sion. ; sArgunds this clause ranges ths
running IRE Of amendments, ratification
resolutions and the real fisht upon ths
treaties themselves. Senator Lodge said
tonight he expected vote tomorrow. and
that while the vote on the COMMITTEES
amendment proposing 10 strike out Clause
from the treaties probably would be
ciose. he believed that the treaties un-
amened would be ratified with hls reso-
luton.
The speakers today were Senator Brown
of Nebraska and Senator Williams OF
Mississippi. who favored the treatiee, and
Senator Hepburn of Idaho. who opposed
them. Senator Smith Of Michigan, IN
colloquy with Senator Hepburn, asked
whether the so-called Platt amendment.
by which the United States undertakes a
certain sovereignty over Cuba. might not
also become a subject Of international In
quiry II Article were to be left In the
treaty as submitted.
1--WE have spent millions and millions
Of dollarr." Senator Smith concluded,
that the island might be free. and hav-
ing enjolned upon them certain conditions
for the maintenance OF their freedom, we
have elected to say that II shall not be
within the power OF tAat soyer, = state
TO contract any - tns u.-. would
impair its sovereis that question
could not be inquh,. ..o by a tribunal
such as we seek to uuperimpose upon
ur by Article 3, | do not know Of a con
troversy that sp be taken before that
tribunal We are embarking upon a gem
eral scheme which begins nowhere and
ends nowhere. and II we pass this treaty
iu the 10TH IN WHICH u cofilcS 70 US ttnefe
Is not sehator. In this body who can
tell what questions we have resolved to
arbitrate with Great Britain and France -
cC.stsyqa tn tmtxtzx .xtxtmhesesecs
Senator Williams said he hoped to Sc.
an International court OF arbitration te
which all disputes among nations should
be submitted. He said that none of ths
prerogativcss fthe senate would be sur,
rendered by referring disputes to the pro
posed joint high commission.
Senators Bacon, Shlyely and Smith oi
Georgia are expected to speak tomorrow
Senator Brown, in his speech. said
Senator Lodges recent statement thai
the shores OF the Mediterranean today
would be peaceful had Turkey possessed 4
strong navy was a reflection on IN,
Italian government.
did the great navies Of Japan OF
Russia a few years ago" he asked, ,.'ol
did the smaller navy Of either invite
war;" We would have declared war witt
spain If SPANS navy had been the great.
est in the world and We had had no ship:
at all The argument which would substi.
'ute dresdnaughts for an arbitration
court is not sound"