New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-29
Wilson Fears EmbarraSs-
ment in Discussion
by Senate.
MEXICAN MIDDLE
SERIOUS OBSTACLE
Had Obtained Approval of
Most of the Latin
Republics.
rrrom The Tribune Bureau I

Washington. Aug. 2S.-Failurc of the
Wilson Pan-American treaty plan
which was to have leagued the nations
of this hemisphere 10 uphold repub-
lican government and to make wars
almost impossible, was disclosed to-
day. Administration officials admitted
tacitly that the scheme had been
dropped, for the present, at least.
According to diplomatic gossip here,
the President himself abandoned the
plan after he had obtained the approval
Of most of the Latin-American govern
ments, because he feared to give the
Senatei an opportunity to debate 1t.
The debate would necessarily have in
volved complete discussion of the
Mexican question, and perhaps of the
whole foreign policy of the Admins
tratioh.
President Wilson made public an
nouncement of his plan last January
in a speech before the Pan-American
Scientific Congress. Diplomats of
every American nation were present,
and the Presidents proposals were APP
plauded heartily. At that time Mr..
Wilson had been working among
the Latin-American diplomatic corps
through Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Lansing
for nearly year, and had obtained
virtual assurances that the treaty
would be acceptable TO the South and
Central American governments. He
made the public exposition of the idea
therefore, with complete confidence
that he was talking practically of a
thing accomplished.
Wilson's Proposal in Detail.
The Presidents proposal was:
To guarantee by treaty the SOW
ereignty and territorial integrity
of every American republic.
To guarantee the continuance Of
republican government.
To settle all present boundary
disputes at once, and by peaceful
means.
To provide means Of arbitration
for all possible disputes in the
future.
To prevent the organization in
tionarv movements against any
other American republic, and to
prevent the shipment of arms to
revolutionaries in neighboring
countries.
Most of the Latin-American powers,
it is learned in diplomatic quarters,
have accepted the plan, though none
of them is believed to be ardently in
favor of it,
at can do little good one diplomat
declared to-day, "but, then, it can do
little harm, either. Personally, /
should advise against it, but my gov
eminent took the view that if it would
please President Wilson there was no
good reason for opposing it,"
Chill was the leader of small group
that dissented from the President 5
proposal; but even Chili's objections,
it is believed, could be overcome. The
reasons for the collapse Of the scheme
are not openly revealed.
at is a great mystery" the diplomat
said. at is apparently the United
States that has dropped the mater,
after having obtained the adherence OF
nearly all the other powers"
Mexican Middle an Obstacle.
The Administration motive in drop
ping the scheme, it is understood, is
to avoid giving the Senate an oppor-
tunity to open the general subject Of
Pan-American relations while the Mex
lean situation is in so delicate state
and when the national election is so
near. The President might have sent
the treaty to the Senate months ago, It
IS pointed out. but he did not, and the
Mexican muddle is assigned as the rea-
son.
Senate leaders, even on the Demo-
cratic side, are understood not to favor
the plan any too strongly, and in diplo-
matte quarters the gossip is going
around that some of them have inti-
mated as much to the White House.
The story goes that some of the politi-
cal strategists Of the party, too, have
told the President that it would be
foolish to give the Senate more oppor-
tunities than are absolutely unavoid-
able to discuss Administration foreign
policies.
The Democratic leaders may have
got wind of the plans Of some prom
inent Republican Senators who over
look no chance 10 train their guns on
the Wilson foreign policies. 1t was
not difficult to imagine that one of the
first questions asked would have been
whether the guarantee against viola
ton of sovereignty or territory was to
apply to Mexico.
The Wilson plan would have made it
binding on the United States to arbi-
trate all troubles with Mexico except
where honor was involved, and would
have made such expeditions as that
now in Mexico a violation of treaty