The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-22
ARBITRATION
TREATIES ARE
NOW IN FORCE
Conventions Ratified by the
Senate by Overwhelming
Majority Without Be-
ing Changed.
PRESIDENT FREE TO
CARRY OUT POLICY
Fight for Free Tolls Will Go
On; Treaty With Nicaragua
to Be Taken Up in the
Near Future.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-General
arbitration treaties ratified by the sen.
ate today renewed for five years agree.
ments with Great Britain, Japan, Italy,
Spain, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and
switzerland and marked the first step
IN the policy Of President Wilson to
place the United States in more ad
vantageous position in the world of ma
tions
Opponents Of the treaties made no ef-
fort to delay the votes.
The treaties, briefly, provide for ref
erence to The Hague tribunal of legal
differences, and questions relating to
the interpretation of other existing
treaties which cannot be settled by di-
plomacy.
Special Agreement.
No matter involving the vital inter.
ests, dependence OF honor Of the con-
tracing powers is included in the
scope of these treaties, and all dis.
putes involving the interests of third
parties also are excluded. The method
of procedure toward arbitration fixed
by the treaties provides that special
agreement shall be drawn up, setting
out the details Of tho dispute and de-
flning its issues and the scope of con-
sideration to be granted to the arbi-
trators. Such agreements must be
signed by the president and ratified by
the senate before the question can be
submitted at The Hague.
Matters still before the senate for
eign relations committee are the Pan
anna tolls question, the pending treaty
with Nicaragua, and the treaty with Co.
| lombia growing out of the surrender Of
the Panama strip, Reports on these,
it is understood. will be laid before the
| senate in the near future.
Votes Not Significant.
Although the majority for the ratifca-
| tion Of the treaties was overwhelming,
and the amendment to exempt by more
| than two-thirds vote, senators who
urge repeal of the free tolls provision
insist that these votes are not signif"
cant of the attitude Of the senate on the
| tolls issue. Senator o 'Gorman said to-
night he did not regard the ratification
action as test. He is determined to
continue the fight for free tolls.
The senate is looking to the president
! for some initiative action In the tolls
matter. and several senator's said today
that the issue would be made a matter
of party caucus, That some Democrats
would refuse to enter such caucus
has been reported for several days.
The treaty with Nicaragua, which has
been before the senate for seven
months, is expected to be taken up for
further consideration by tho foreign
relations committee in the near future.
petual option on the Nicaraguau canal
route and Of naval station rights on the
shores of the gulf of Fonseca for
$3,000,00o.
Platt Amendment.
1t also proposes to extend the chief
features of the Platt amendment, which
would give this country control over
the customs Of Nicaragua. This fea-
ture of the treaty has aroused opposi.
tion among some members of the com
mittee. They believe that such pro
vision is too far-reaching.
Vigorous opposition to the treaty
has developed also in Central America
and members of congress are in TO,
ceipt Of protest from Frederico Pe-
uado, chairman Of the Salvadoran
committee Of the national Central
American association. Senor Penadc
III am merely repeating what is gen,
erally conceded throughout Central
America when j say that the proposed
treaty is the product of frame-up be.
tween dollar diplomacy and Nicara
euan traitors. The present Nicaraguan
Government Is but a satrapy of native
sirelings, set up by the scandalous in
tripues OF the previous state depart
ment, more for tho purpose of turning
for for getting bargain in the cana