The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-01-31
Senate Foreign Committee
Votes to Recommend I'm
mediate Ratification
OF TREATIES WITH
"a NATIONS
Vote Was II to 2, with Four
Absentees in
Favor

Washington, Jan. 3l.--The first inn
portant step in the direction OF getting
the foreign relations of the nation adj
iusted as the president wishes them adj
justed was taken yesterday by the SEN
nte foreign relations committee. 1t or
dered, by vote of Ii to 2, a favorable
report on the various arbitration treat
les, including those with Great Britain
and Japan. This means in all reason
able likelihood that the arbitration
treaties-which total twenty four-are
to be renewed. That the Senate will
confirm the action of the committee is
expected. The treaties have been pend
ing since last summer, when their orlgl-
nal four-year limitations expired.
The two who voted against the re-
newal of the treaties are Senators O'Gor-
man of New York and Smith of Michi-
gan. Senators Sutherland, Burton,
Borah, and Clarke of Arkansas were abb
sent, but they had sent word that they
favored ratification.
Senator Smith takes the position that
the attempt to settle disputes by sweep
ing policies of arbitration is mistake,
and that as each individual question
arises it should be taken up with refer
ence to whether it should go to an ar
bitral tribunal
Senator O'Gorman, it is well known,
is strongly opposed to the British treaty.
He fears that under this it is proposed
to submit the canal tolls question to ar
bitration.
The action of the committee is viewed
as distinct victory for the foreign pol
icy of the administration. 1t is direct
outcome of the recent conference at the
White House between the president and
the foreign relations committee. At that
conference it was agreed that the first
important step in the effort to straight
en- out the entanglements into which the
United States has fallen should be to
seek to ratify the arbitration treaties.
In spite of official denials it is well
known that those at the conference last
Monday night took grave view OF ex-
listing conditions.
The treaties contain this language as
to scope of the subjects to be arbitrateS;
Differences which may arise of a
legal nature or relating to the interpre-
tation of treaties existing between the
two contracting parties and which 1t
may not have been possible to set
tie by diplomacy shall be referred to
the permanent court of arbitration es-
tablished at The Hague by the conven-
ton of the goth of July, 1890; provided
nevertheless, that they do not affect
the vital interests, the independence, or
the honor of the two contracting states
and do not concern the interests OF third
parties"
The Panama tolls question, the Rus
sian question, the Mexican question, the
Japanese question, and the Colombian
question remain to be solved but the
action yesterday was looked upon as
a most suspicious beginning.
In executive session of the Senate
strong opposition to the treaties will be
made, but it is generally considered GER
tain that the opposition will fail.
The pending treaties with France hav-
ing been renewed last year, are with
China, Denmark, Great Britain, Italy,
Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway,
Peru, Portugal, Salvatore, Spain, Swed-
en-, Switzerland, Austria Hungary, Costa
Rica, Haiti, Paraguay, Argentine, Re-
public, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Chile,
Brazil