The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1914-10-15
People and Treaties

NAoNSAAN 0AJN~
upon an end Of secret diplomacies as
one result Of this war. He doea not
think this will be sufficient, in itself,
to bring permanent peace to Europe.
Nothing short Of form Of arbtrament
which can, by force Of arms il neces-
sary, compel unwilling nations TO re-
specg their treaty obligations can do
that, he thinks. But in briefly emu
merating other acts which can con-
duce to peace, he names "a larger CO.
operation Of peoples in control Of their
foreign affairs" as one. 1t may well
be called vital one; as vital, almost as
the one that nations shall be compel
ed TO respect such treaty obligations
as they enter into. The notion that a
treaty is nothing more than "a scrap Of
paper" never originated in the con
seriousness Of any civilized people. In
whatever charcellrey i; did oigiuate
has been impossible, Tor generations, to
say, since all Of the chancelleries Of
Europe have, at one time or another,
illustrated the principle in action.
The idea that treaty to which, after
full discussion, an entire people, by
legislative sanction, has plighted its
faith and honor, would be by them de-
liberately or selfshly repudiated is in
comprehensive to any one with de-
gree of familiarity with average man
kind. In the knowledge OF that fact
in human nature, secret diplomacy
found one OF its roots. Such dlplo'
matists have made many treaties which
they were we'll aware the conscience
and intelligence Of their people would
not approve, with the purpose OF ig'
noring them, when necessary or ex-
pedient. No civilized people acting
openly and without concealment,
would contemplate such treachery.
This is a fundamental fact, and one
which we might almost call automatic.
1t was so plainly regarded as self
evident truth by the men who framed
the constitution Of the United States
that they made secret diplomacy i'm
possible for this country in making it
necessary for the Senate to confirm,
and By two thirds vote, any treaty
entered into by the president. In the
full public discussion necessarily ac-
companying discussion OF a treaty
when pending before the Senate,
whether or not the discussions among
the senators themselves are held only
in executive session, there is a pre-
cluding Of any possibility that the
good faith Of Americans can ever be
pledged to any international obliga'
ton without their concurrence
Such plan is also excellently de-
vised, under the two'thirds rule, 10
give the minority reasonable degree
Of restraint over the passions Of party
which might otherwise lead country
into warliEe engagements less pro-
motive OF public than Of private in
terests. The wisdom Of the Ameri-
can plan has had many previous evi-
dences, but never one before quite so
convincing as this now 10 be seen,
when the most frightiul war Of history
is revealed as being only the work Of
OF few men in closets. Lately, in
this county, we have had too many
manifestations Of an attempted approach
to secret diplomacies. We have had
the president going of shore at mid
night TO board vessel carrying his
personal representative" coming
from foreign country, to report to
him only, the progress Of events in an
international complication. Such
things wear too much the look Of in
trigues such as can be read Of in old
memoirs te ing cf secret dipl)
macy in Europe when diplomatists
have matched their wits as liars
against one another. They are un-
American. But with the treaty'mak
in. power OF the United States in the
hands Of its people, We are cohhdent
that Mr.. Bryce's international arma-
ment would never have to be sent
against US to compel our performance
Of a treaty We may ourselves have
made. Globe Democrat