New-York tribune., 1918-06-13
President Explains He De-
sires Publicity Only on
Completed Pact
Cloture Rule Vote
To Be Taken To-day
Advocates Predict Adop-
ton of Modified Under
wood Resolution

WASHINGTON, June 1o.--Explana-
ton by President Wilson to-day that
his call for open diplomacy, made in an
address to Congress last January,
meant not public discussion of delicate
matters, but "open, aboveboard and
explicit" publicity of completed inter-
national relations, was followed by de-
feat in the Senate, so to 90, of Senator
Borah's proposal for public considera-
tion of treaties.
-Four Democrats and nineteen kepub
licans favored the Borah amendment.
The Democrats who voted for the pro-
posal were Chamberlain, Johnson
IS. d., Nugent and Vardaman. The
Republicans were Baird, Borah, Cum
Minis. Fall, France, Frelinghuyscn,
Gronna. Johnson (Cal.), Jones (Wash.),
Kellogg, Kenyon, Lenroot, McNary,
New, Norris, Sherman, Smith (Mich.) },
Sterling and Townsend. Fourteen Re-
publicans and thirty Democrats op-
:nased the resolution 4.sss
OF members paired or absent it was
announced that Senators curtis, La
Toilette, Wadsworth and Watson, Re-
ppblicans, also favored the amend
ment.
Cloture Rule Vote To-day
Rejection of the Borah plan advanced
as an amendment to the new rule pro-
posed by Senator Underwood, of Ala
Joh
the war paved the way for action to-
morrow on the Underwood resolution.
An agreement to vote at o'clock to-
morrow afternoon was reached.
President Wilson'S own interpreta-
tion Of his open diplomacy declaration
was made known in memorandum to
Secretary Lansing, read to the Senate
by Chairman Hitchcock of the Foreign
Relations Committee. The memoran-
duction of the Borah resolution, and
was made public as 81 result Of the ar
gument in the Senate yesterday over
what the Presidents words meant. 1t
follows:
II wish you would be kind enough
to formulate a careful and conclu-
sive memorandum for the use of the
committee of the Senate. with re-
gard to the inclosed resolution. I
take it for granted that you feel as
do, that this is no time to act as
the resolution prescribes, and cer-
tainly when | pronounced for open
diplomacy l meant not that there
should be no private discussions of
delicate matters, but that no secret
agreements should be entered into
and that all international relations,
when fixed, should be open, above
board and explicit"
The memorandum requested from
Secretary Lansing was not submitted
to Senator Hitchcock and was said not
to have yet been completed. Senator
Borah insisted that the Presidents
statements in his address in favor of
open negotiations were so plain as to
be impossible Of misconstruction.
Modification Expected
With the Borah amendment in the
discard, attack was renewed on the
Underwood cloture rule, despite ac-
ceptance by Senator Underwood of a
substitute rule offered by Senator
Cummins, of Iowa, extending privi-
leges of debate. In lieu OF the orig
inal resolution to limit Senator's de-
bate during the war to one hour on bills
or resolutions except by unanimous
consent, the Cummins substitute would
permit one hour and half and pro-
vide for extension by majority vote.
Rejection, 40 to 20, Of an amend
ment by Senator Gallinger, of New
Hampshire, to restrict cloture to the
present year was regarded by the ad-
vocates of cloture as Indication of
final adoption of the modified rule
Objects To Shackles on Senate
Senator Cummins contended Wig
orously that the rule would help en-
pedite legislation. He pointed out that
goo bills ard resolutions IF the Gath
Congress were left On the calendar
without being disposed of by the
Senate. Five thousand bills and res
olutions have been introduced at the
present session, he said, and of this
number, only 10 per cent will have
been considered by committees by the
time the session ends.
Senator Hale, of Maine, said he had
examined the debate of the last war
revenue bill and found only eleven
speeches exceeding an hour and half.
Senator johnson, of California, oppos-
ing the rule, pleaded that the Senate
SHOULD not be shackled," because
after the war it will be necessary for
the country to readjust itself, after
having conferred autocratic war
powers.
Senator Johnson attacked the recent
order for 25 per cent increase in
freight rates, declaring it had been i'm
Lprovidently made and destroyed gen
crations Of work in California. He
mentioned this order as one of the in
stances of ''the peculiar autocratic
j &c. Al l.