Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-08
.PACTS DEEMED DEAD
Effect of Altering the Arbitra-
ton Treaties.
MAY NOT BE TRANSMITTED
Believed That the Movement Has
Been Put Back for Years.
SENATE INSISTS ON RIGHTS
Rejects Clause Providing for Com.
mission to Determine JUS
ticiable Questions.

mission to Determine Jus
ticiable Questions.
Summing up the action of the Sen
ate yesterday in stripping the proposed
arbitration treaties with France and
Great Britain of their vital features,
government officials who followed the
negotiation of the two pacts agreed
today that participation by the United
States in general arbitration of inter-
national difficulties was a dead issue
SO far as this session of Congress was
concerned, and probably for many
years to come.
There is little thought that President
Taft will submit the treaties in their
mangled form to either of the powers
for possible approval The amended
treaties. sent to the White House to-
day. will await the return to Washing
ton of President Taft, and If routine is
followed he will send them to the State
Department. Secretary Knox. who is
today due at Amapala, on the west
coast of Honduras, will be Informed by
cable OF what has happened, and as a
matter of form some consultation must
be had between the President and the
taken.
AS q matter of courtesy the British
and French ambassadors will be in
formed of the Senate'S action, but that
will not be regarded as an invitation
to them to accept the amendments UNI
tiens from the State Department.
London Papers Not Surprised.
LONDON. March s.-The evening papers
do not express any surprise at the action
of the United States Senate in emasculat-
ing the arbitration treaties so as to elimi-
nate from their operation the Monroe doc
trine, immigration and state debts
The Pail Mall Gazette says that such
treaties are possible only between nations
which are never likely to fight. and there
is no need to sign and seal a declaration
of love and affection for ones brother.
The Japanese must, says the newspaper,
be laughing in their sleeves at seeing that
the little piece of sugar by which the
renewal of the alliance with Great Brit
ain was secured has all melted away
The Westminster Gazette attributes the
action Of the Senate to political exigen-
cieS.
Ratification Nearly Unanimous.
With only three votes against them
those Of Senators Lorimer, MARITIME and
Reed-the amended treaties were ratified
in the Senate by the adoption Of the
Bacon democratic resolution of ratifica-
ton.
The action is regarded as blow at the
administration by democrats and in
Surgent republicans.
The peace treaties had aroused battle
royal over the preservation of the preroga-
tives of the Senate, and when the smoke
of battle cleared away it was evident
that the majority OF the upper house had
upheld practically every contention made
for its prerogatives.
Fight Over Commission Of Inquiry.
The chief fight was over the third
clause of article 3, which provided:
1T is further agreed, however, that in
cases in which the parties disagree as to
whether or not difference is subject to
arbitration under article 1 of this treaty
that question shall be submitted to the
joint high commission of inquiry. and if
all but one of the members of the COM
mission agree and report that such diff
ference is within the scope of article l
Gusticiable), it shall be referred to arbi-
tration in accordance with the provisions
of this treaty.
The enemies of this clause contended
that it took from the Senate it's power |
to say whether or not a question in dis |
pute shall be arbitrated, and would |
make it possible to arbitrate questions |
of national policy. involving immigra- |
ton and the Monroe doctrine, among |
other things. |
This paragraph was knocked out by
the close vote of AZ to 40. When the |
result of that vote had been announced /
the friends of the treaties as they had |
stood realized the chief advance in the |
way of International arbitration char !
acterizing the treaties had been lost.
The republicans who voted to strike |
the clause out We're Senators Borah, |
Bourne, Bristow. Dixon. LOrimer and |
to vote to retain the clause were Rayner, |
Thornton and Williams. The vote plain
ly indicated that the opponents of the |
Presidents plan for general arbitration |
would be successful.
Senators Penrose of Pennsylvania the I
republican leader of the Senate: Hey |
burn of Idaho, Gronna of North Dakota, |
Gamble of South Dakota, Stone of Mis- |
souri,, Poindexter of Washington. Tay
lor Of Tennessee and Davis of Arkansas |
were absent. OF these Stone, Gronna, |
Gamble and Davis had been paired.
Culberson's Efforts to Amend.
Senator Cuberson's effort to have added |
to the treaties themselves clause ex-
empting all questions (which affect the |
vital interests, the independence or the |
honor of either Of the two contracting |
parties, nor any question which concerns |
the interests Of third parties" failed by a |
vote of 81 to 10. Senator Bacon followed |
up the attack by offering an amendment |
which was subsequently put into the reso- |
luton of ratification, but it was lost on a !
tie vote, Al to Al.
Senator Chamberlain. having in view
the possibility that Japan would ask for a |
similar treaty and that the far east i'm
migration question might become in |
volved in that, proposed an amendment |
providing that this agreement of arbi-
tration does not authorize the submission |
to arbitration Of any question which at |
fects the admission of aliens into the |
United States or the admission of aliens
to the educational institutions Of the sew |
eral states
Here the enemies Of the treaties won,
to the surprise Of the friends, 40 to 80.
No further attempts were made to |
amend the treaties themselves. The reso-
luton of ratification was next to be |
adopted, and Senator Lodge offered a. |
simple resolution. embodying the amend |
ments that had already been made to the |
treaties The Lodge resolution, 1t was |
thought, would have enabled the friends |
to pull one two Goals out of the fire. |
But even that was to be denied.
Bacon Amendment Adopted.
Senator Bacon offered a substitute reso-
luton, providing not only for the amend
ments already made to the treaties, but
al follouS.