Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-09-05
KEEPS 4 TREATIES
FROM THE SENATE
Austrian, Hungarian, Turkish and
Bulgarian Drafts Held Back.
FUNCTION OF THE EXECUTIVE
Tells Chairman Lodge of Foreign Re.
Iations Committee He Considers
Such Action Out of Question
Fears Embarrassment.

Washington, Sept. president Will
son declined to give the senate foreign
relations committee the tentative
drafts of treaties with Austria, Hun
gary, Turkey and Bulgaria, as re-
quested by the committee, on the
ground that ''it would tend to take the
function Of negotiating treaties out OF
the hands Of the executive"
In a letter to Chairman Lodge, Pres
ident Wilson said that as the treaties
still were in process of negotiation, ne
considered it "out of the question" to
give the tentative drafts. Senator
Lodge wrote in reply that the commit
tee had asked only for such Informal
ton as it would be compatible with
the public interest to give, and added
that the decision as to whether 1t was
expedient to give any information
about them at all undoubtedly rested
with the president.
Refuses Rhine Declaration.
At the same time the president re-
fused the committees request for the
declaration of June 16 signed by the
United States and other powers to COW
er military occupation Of the Rhine.
"a certain degree of embarrassment
would be caused, President Wilson
wrote, if the declaration were made
public now.
Senator Lodge replied that the dec
laration already had been printed IN
the Congressional Record, having
reached members of the committee
through British sources, and also had
been submitted to the house of COM
mons, July 4.
The treaty with Poland and another
Rhine agreement, that of June rs,
which also were asked for, were sent
to the senate by the president last
Friday.
Explains to Senator Lodge.
The president wrote to Senator
Lodge:
"Allow me to acknowledge the re-
ceipt Of your letter Of August %, and
to say that shall take pleasure in
laying before the senate the treaty
with Poland, signed at Versailles on
the 28th of June, and the agreement
between the United States. Belgium,
the British empire and France OF the
one part and Germany of the other
part, with regard to the military occu-
patton of the territories of the Rhine,
also signed at Versailles on the 18th
of June.
"The declaration of the 10th of
June to which you refer was a mere
declaration of policy and does not be
come in any way pertinent until the
treaty is ratified. My impression is
that a certain degree of embarrass-
ment would be caused, not to the Unit
ed States, but to the countries with
which we must necessarily cooperate
In many particulars in the execution
of the treaty, if it were communicated
now. 1t will, of course, be made pub
lie in due time.
with regard to the treaties with
Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Tur-
key, it would be out of the question
for me to submit them in their pres
ent form, even to the committee on for
eign relations. They are in process of
negotiation, are subject to change and
reconsideration until completed and
signed. / am sure that the committee
on foreign relations will appreciate the
undesirability of creating the prece-
dept which would be created by sub
hitting treaties in their draft form.
It would tend to take the function of
negotiating treaties out of the hands
of the executive, where it is expressly
vested by the Constitution"