New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Heavy Going Over
Secret Diplomacy

ment approaching great vlgOr. He ap-
pears throughout the debate in the posi-
ton of man who protests because he
scarcely credits what he hears. He seems
unwilling to believe that the Senator from
Idaho can be advancing any proposition
so preposterous. He is grieved, is in
credulous, does his best to reason gently
with Senator Borah, gives up almost as
If with a faint gesture of having con-
fronted an impossible situation on which
reason will not work.
Senator Borah begins with apologies
for taking time and grows gradually but
not slowly into his first climax, in which
he declares that the question of secret
diplomacy ais advancing to burning
issue among the peoples of Europe, who
believe at this hour that they are the
victims of secret diplomacy" Senator
Hitchcock is manifestly uneasy and in
terrupts several times to ask for further
amplifcation from Senator Borah, to
point out possible inconsistencies in his
speech. His doubt and disbelief in the
earnestness of the speaker finally pro-
duces this:
HITCHCOCK: Does the Senator claim
that the President of the United States
supports this proposition for the abolition
Of executive session in consideration of
treaties?
BORAH: Of course I am not authorized
to speak for the President of the. United
States.
Senator Borah, by deductive reasoning,
makes clear that if there are to be no
secret understandings between nations it
follows that the entire proceeding of
treaty making from beginning to end
must be public
HITCHCOCK Openly pained): think it
is absolutely preposterous to think that tho
President of the United States would sit on
a hill and in the view of the whole world
undertake a negotiation with another gov
ernment; and it is just preposterous to
suppose that the United States Senate,
which has a part in framing treaty, which
has part in giving its phraseology, and
which receives secret commissions from the
President, should go into the open.
Mr.. Borah quotes the Presidents Ian
guage, "open covenants of peace, openly
arrived at," and challenges Mr.. Hitch
cock to interpret it. The Interpretation
does not help Mr.. Borah. The description
merely fits the present process of treaty
making, according to Senator Hitchcock.
BORAH with the thinnest edge of feeling
in his voice): Mr.. President, the Senator
from Nebraska cannot certainly arrive at that
conclusion from the Presidents language.
The Senator must have some subterranean
in foy u,bic oh %o ALo
public by virtue of any language which has
been used by the President"
Senator Hitchcock has now moved to a
more advantageous position, closer to
Mr.. Borah, who is near the rear of the
Republican side of the chamber. He
charges Mr.. Borah with saying that the
President is attacking the American
method Of treaty making rather than
that of Europe. Mr.. Borah returns with
pleasant irony that if he understands the
English language it is just what he
means to say. Pushed back, Mr.. Hitch
cock declares Mr.. Borah is in the absurd
position of saying that the President, who
initiates treaties, is condemning his own
practices. Mr.. Borah does not deny this.
The debate progresses in this vein for
some time. Mr. Hitchcock continues
panied and amazed. Mr.. Borah retorts at
this amazement that he is after all only
following the great moral leader of the
world just now" There are Interruptions
from other Senators. Senator Gallinger,
in a dry humor, asks If Senator Borah
has any indication that the President has
changed his mind on the matter, and at
negative answer declares it would be
"a very unusual circumstance if he had
not"
Mr.. Hitchcock would like to escape. It
is too much for him to believe. He is
almost at the door when Senator Borah
calls him back to hear further. But
Senator Reed jumps into the breach and
takes the debate from Senator Hitch
cock, who finally goes out unobserved.
THE President himself closed the chap
= ter on secret and open diplomacy by
letter written to Secretary Lansing,
made public the next day, Wednesday.
In his letter Mr.. Wilson disavowed that
he had meant open discussion of delicate
matters. His point was that the results
at least should always be public.
The Senate concurred, voting so to %
Senator Borah did not appear greatly
downcast.
s.s.1s s.s.1s--z-