Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-02-27
RATIFIED 3 TREATIES
CONGRESS REVIEWS SWEAR ARBI.
TRATIoN AGREEMENTS WITH
SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES.
PLAN TO Do AWAY WITH ALL WARS
Marks First Step Of President Wilson
to Place the v. s. in Better POSI-
ton with World Of Nations
Other Treaties Up.

Washington.-General arbitration
treaties ratified by the senate Satur-
day renewed for five years agree
ments with Great Britain, Japan,
Spain, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and
Switzerland and marked the first step
In the policy Of President Wilson to
place the United States in a more ad-
vantageous position in the world of
nations.
Opponents of the treaties made no
effort to delay the votes.
The treaties. briefly. provide for
reference to The Hague tribunal of
legal differences and questions relat.
ing to the Interpretation of other ex.
listing treaties which can not be set.
tied by diplomacy.
Important Exceptions.
No matter involving the vital in.
terests, independence or honor of the
contracting 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 ar
bitration fixed by the treaties, pro-
vides that a special agreement shall
be drawn up setting out the details
Of the dispute and defining its issues
and the scope of consideration to be
granted to the arbitrators. Such agree
ments must be signed by the presi-
dent and ratified by the senate before
the question can be submitted to The
Hague.
Matters still before the senate for
eign relations committee are the Pan
ANA tolls question. the pending treaty
with Nicaragua and the treaty with
Columbia growing out of the surren.
der of the Panama strip. Reports on
these, 1t Is understood, will be laid be-
fore the senate in the near future.
Tolls Issue Later.
Although the majority for the rati-
fication of the treaties was overwhelm-
ing and the amendment to exempt car
ried by more than a two-thirds vote,
senators who urge repeal of the free
tolls provision insist that these votes
are not significant of the attitude OF
the senate on the tolls issue. Senator
O'Gorman now says he did not re-
gard the ratification action as test
He Is determined to continue the fight
for free tolls.
The senate is looking to the presi.
dent for some initiative action In the
tolls matter and several senators said
that the issue would be made mat
ter of party caucus. That some demo
Gratis would refuse to enter such eau
Gus has been reported for several days
Nicaragua Treaty Unsettled.
The treaty with Nicaragua which
has been before the senate for seven
months, is expected to be taken up fol-
further consideration by the foreign
relations committee in the near future
It provides for the purchase of per
petual option en- the Nicaraguan cana
route and of naval station rights OF
the shores of the gulf of Fonseca fol
$3.0O0,0O0. It also proposes to extent
the chief features of the Platt amend
ment, which would give this countr.
control over the customs of Nicaragua
This feature of the treaty has aroused
opposition among some members O
the committee. They believe such ;
provision is too far-reaching
Vigorous opposition to the treat!
has developed also in Central Americs
and members of congress are in re
ceipt of a protest from FREDERICK Pen
ado, chairman of the Salvadorean com
mittee of the National Central Ameri
can association.