The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-02-25
AlIFy ARBITRATION 1IflTIEs
SENATE APPROVES AGREEMENTS
WITH FIGHT NATIONS.
l%ss<r Long Delay, Senators Agree
Aimom Unsnimous,y--rrs< Tolls
Clsuse IL Na Exempted.


Washington. Feb 2l.--General ar
hitrstion treaties ratified by the sen.
stt today renewed for five years
agreements with Great Britain. Japan.
ltsG. Norway. Sweden. Portugal.
spain and Switzerland. and marked
the hrst step in the policy or Pres.
iasht Wilson 20 place the United
stotss In a more advantageous POSI-
non in the world az nations.
Amendments TO the treaties having
besp rejected Friday. debat. closed
TO-DAY within two minutes a2ter the
senate went into executive session and
ratification resolutions were adopted
one after another without roll call
Opponents of the treaties made no
efTosts to delay voting.
The treaties. briefiy. provide fer
rsfsrenes To The Hague tribunal Of
LEGAL differences and questions relating
In the Interpretation OF other existing
treaties which can not be settled by
diplomacy. They are not. OF them
seNss. far reaching, but in view of
the Ions delay In their ratification.
during which many disturbing factors
both st home and abroad have con-
tributea TO general agitation. she feel
ins amons the senator's In thae the ac-
t,on To-Day will serve To place the
unised states on frmsr confidential
uasss with the powers
No matter involving the vital in
fsreste. Independence OF honor Of the
contracting powers is included in the
scope OF thsae treaties, and all dts
pases involvins the interests OF thard
parstes also are excluded. The method
OF procedure toward arbitration fixed
ny he treaties provides that q spe.
eisi agreement ahan be drawn up set
tins out ths details Of the dispute and
defining iss isshes and the scope OF
consideration to be granted to the ar
bisrstora Such agreements must be
sisnsa by the president and ratified by
shs senate before the question can he
Submitted at The Hague.
Matters still before the senate for
ejsn relations committee are the Pan
anna tolls question. the pending treaty
with Nicaragua and the treaty with
colombis srowins out Of the sur
render of the Panama "trip. Reports
an these. 10 10 understood. will be laid
before the senate In the near future.
Although the majority for the rat
iaeation was overwhelming and q res
-oiotion TO exempt the Panama tolls
provision from arbitration was reject.
- by more than two-thirds vote,
senators who oppose the repeal Of the
tolls exemption provision insist that
these votes are not significant Of the
attitude of the senate on the tolls
issus. senator OGorman s1id tonight
he did not regard the ratification ae-
ton an . tsst. lie 10 determined to
continue the fsht for tolls exemption.
The senate II looking TO the presi-
dsnt Tor some Initiative action In the
tolls matter end several senaters to-
dAy svowed that the issue would be q
matter os party caucus. That some
Democrats would refuse To enter such
caucus has been reported for sew
srsi dsyA
The treaty with Nicaragua. which
has been before the senate Tor sew
ey~i months, is expected to he taken
ap Tor further consideration by the
foreiga relations committee In the
asar future. II provides for the pur-
chase Of . perpetual option o, the
'Nicafaguan canal route and OF naval
station rights on the shores ot the
eun Of Fonseca for Sa.ooe.O
10 also proposes TO extend the chief
features OF the Platt amendment.
which would give this country control
over the customs OF Nicaragua. to the
relations between the United states
aud Nicaragua. This feature has
aroused some opposition.
Vigorous opposition to the trsaty
has developed also IN Central Amer
lea and members OF congress are in
receipt OF protest from Frederico
Penado. chairman OF the Saivadcrean
committee OF tho National Central
American association.
Senator Penado says: II am merely
repeating what Is generally repeated
throughout Central America when I
say the proposed treaty In the product
OF q frameup between dollar diplom-
scy and Nicaraguan traitors. The pres
snt Nicarasuan government is but a
sstrapy Of native hirelings: set up by
the scandaious intrisues Of tho pro-
vious state department. more for the
purpose of turning the country TO
wan street than for getting "a tar
salr In the canal rights"