Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-19
BY JAMES B. MORROW.
OW into the big news OF the
day come the seventeen men
who compose the secret body


cret body in that it's meetings are
newspapers
open diplomacy" is an inspiring
text 1t suggests guileless hearts,
guiltless hands and honest counte-
nances--a getting away from the dark
and dangerous customs of the tricky
and untruthful past. Among the peo-
pie, however, its translat ton into pop
ular terms has gone far beyond the
conception and the definition of those
who gave 1t form and utterance.
Diplomacy cannot be carried on
by an electorate assembled under a
tree or in a tent. 1.-The nature of for
eign negotiations requires caution"
George Washington, while President,
wrote to the House of Representa-
tives, and their success must often
depend on secrecy"
Nations bargain with one another
through agents. The direct and active
agent Of the United States in such
matters is the President. But he must
obtain the advice and consent Of
the Senate" in the making Of treaty.
The object Of the writer's of the
Constitution was to limit, SO far as 1t
could safely be done, ITO q small
number Of members" again to quote
George Washington, the business of
dealing governmentally with other
nations. Therefore, the House Of Rep
resentatiyes, in this day with a men,
bership Of more than 400. has no
part either in authorizing or in rati-
Tying treaties. The Senate alone ad-
vises and consents. But before it can
wisely do either 1t must have the
Judgment OF specialists.
A hundred grave and delicate points
may be considered. since. once in OPP
Grafton, treaty is a part of 1.-The
supreme law of the land" 1t is su-
perior to state laws and even to
state constitutions and is equal In
force to an act OF Congress.
The specialists on whom the Senate
relies for information and opinions
President are the seventeen mem
bers of its committee on foreign re-
lations. Treaty making. to repeat,
begins with the President. who uses
the Secretary OF State and the am
bassadors and ministers Of this coun-
try for the work in hand.
After 1t is written and signed
treaty goes directly from the Presi-
dent to the Senate. where 1t Is re-
ceived In what is known as an OK
SSuSAFOs u ocCIct, SeSSIOn. ne gal
leries have been cleared of spectators
and reporters have been turned into
the corridors. Guards stand at the
doors.
Within the chamber, .notwithstand-
Ing the solemnness of the prelimi-
naries and the silent vigor Of the
precautions. vsry little happens. The
treaty is announced and, under the
rules. immediately goes to the COM
mittee on foreign relations. Its GUS
10 "A al AL
chairman. AS matter OF fact, the
secretary of the committee locks 1t
In safe ~
Such will be the course of the
treaty or treaties debated and pre-
pared in Versailles. Whether q treaty
countries. the mechanism In WASH
ington is the same--the President
transmits, the Senate receives, the
committee of specialists investigates
rejects In the meantime every part
of the business has been done be-
hind locked doors. +
Because, as Washington explained.
"a full disclosure of all measures,
demands or eventual concessions Gin
the matter of bargaining with = for
eign nation) which might have been
proposed or contemplated would be.
extremely impolitic." tnasmuch as,
this might have q pernicious influ-
enoe on future negotiations, or pro-
duce immediate inconveniences. per-
haps danger and mischief. in rela-
tion to other powers"
The procedure followed by Wash
ington has never been changed.
Treaties are discussed at length In
the Senate and are analysed In de-
tail by the committee on foreign re-
lations. Often they are perfected"
to use q word employed by the sena-
tors themselves. More than once u
treaty has been cast aside alto
gether. Presidents. through the labor
OF their Secretaries Of state and the
diplomatic representatives OF the
country, have had treaties written
and then signed by the ministers of
other nations only to have them torn
to pieces or repudiated in~the Senate
and themselves Inundated In the eyes
Of the world. F~~
"He shall have power" reads the
st-t I q rfa 81. AZ ~ .t.t -