The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-07-22

AN ISSUE
in SENATE
Senators Insist that Proceedings oi
Secret Session Be Given to
the Press LEAK" in the
Treaty Hearings
BY BURTON X. sTANDIsH.
(Written for the United Press. }

Washington, July 22.-Whether the
senate itself or any committee Of the
senate has the right to discuss ques,
tions of public interest behind closed
doors is a question that will be thor
oughly threshed out before the pres
ent session of congress adjourns, ii
such senators as Borah of Idaho, Nor
ris of Nebraska, Kenyon Of Iowa and
La FoIlete of Wisconsin, mean what
they say.
Lively discussion ON this point was
brought up when the senate foreign
relations committee through Senator
Stone, asked for permission to inYes-
tigate itself, with view of discover.
ing just what senator has been telling
the newspaper men what has been
happening behind the closed doors ot
the committee during its investigation
Of Central American finances in con
nection with Che proposed draft Of the
treaty with Nicaragua.
Secretary. of State Bryan has been
sitting in" at the meetings 0f the
committee all the way through and on
one day In particular he was shocked
to read in the newspapers q full and
complete account Of the story told the
committee, In confidence by repre-
sentatiYes Of Nicaragua.
The particular story that caused the
rub is said to have been that regard
ing the offer of Germany to pay more
than s3,0lo,00 for the option on the
canal route If Nicaragua would not
ratify the proposed treaty with the
United States.
Bryan at once was called upon by
the Niearaguans, who knew him bet
ter than they knew anyone on the
committee, With a protest at their tes-
timony being given TO the public, and
they could not understand how the
newspapers had gotten such complete
accounts OF their testimony without
the stenographer's notes being given
to the newspapers.
"We thought 1t was in confidence,
or we would never have talked" they
told Mr. Bryan.
Thereupon Bryan made q hurried
trip to the committee, and stated his
case. Senator Stone expressed amaze
ment that the doings of the commit
tee should have leaked out, but not
half as much amazement as was ex-
pressed in the press gallery when it
was known that majority of the
committee had stood for" the inves-
tigation resolution.
For ''the boys" who had been writ
ing the news knew, and knew that
the members OF the committee knew
that the man on the committee who
does not talk to the newspaper men
at some time following a meeting is
the rare exception.
Most OF the committee members
have always recognized the newspa-
per mems argument that the commit
tee had no right to withheld such in
formation from the public, and this
belief always has and probably always
will, make executive meetings largely
futile.
Senators Norris and Borah point out
that these two treaties, with Columbia
and Nicaragua, involve the paying out
Of the United States treasury Of $685.
100000 in money and the granting OF
privileges which are worth inestim-
able millions more in connection with
the Panama canas They declare, with
other senator's that the people of the
United States are entitled to know
every fact about the entire financial
history of the countries, and just what
are the reasons for and against the
treaties which are discussed at such
length in the committee meetings.
They further point out that under
the plan proposed, not only will the
committee meetings be executive. but
the treaties themselves will be con
sidered in executive sessions of sen
ate, so that the treaties may actually
be ratified without the American peo
pie ever knowing the truth falsity o.