Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1920-10-02
PRESIDENT FAILS TO
ACT ON TREATIES
Wilson Declines to Take Steps
Toward Termination of
Commercial Pacts.

Washington President Wilson has
declined 10 take steps toward termi
nation OF certain commercial treaties
as directed by congress in the mer-
chant marine act. holding that such
a course would BE- wholly irreconcil-
able with the historical respect which
the United States has shown for its
international engagements.
Formal announcement of the presi-
dents decision and the reasons impell-
ing il was made Friday at the state
department The merchant marine
act a. approved by the president on
the closing day Of the last session OF
congress directed the executive with
in 80 days to give notice to foreign
nations OF the intentions OF the Unit
ed States TO terminate any sections of
existing commercial treaties which re-
strict the right OF the American gov
eminent 10 impose discriminatory
charges on shipping in foreign bot
toms
The statement given out by the
state department said.
The department OF state has been
informed by the president that he does
not deem the direction. contained in
section "a Of the SO-called merchant
marine act. an exercise of any cousti-
tutional power possessed by congress.
The president was directed within
80 days after the act became law. To
notify the several governments, With
whom the United States had entered
into commercial treaties. that taiS
country elected To terminate 50 much
Of said treaties. a. restricted the right
of the United States To impose dis
criminatory customs duties on i'm
ports and discriminatory tonnage du-
ties. according as the carrier vessels
We're domestic or foreign. quite regard
less OF the fact that these restrictions
are mutual and quite regardless also
of the fact that the treaties contained
no provisions for their termination in
the manner contemplated by congress.
The president considers it mis-
leading to speak of the termination
of the restrictive clauses OF such
treaties. The action sought to be i'm
posed upon the executive would
amount to violation OF said treaties
which are 81 in number and cover
every point of contact and mutual de
pendence which constitute the modern
relations between friendly states.
Such a course would be irrecOncilable
with the historical respect which the
United States has shown for its inter
national engagements and would falsi-
fly every profession of our belief in the
binding force and the reciprocal obi
CATION of treaties in general.
Secretary Colby, commenting on
the point made by the president that
congress had exceeded its powers, call
ed attention to the veto by President
Hays of an act passed by congress In
1879 which required the president to
give notice to China of the abrogation
of articles and 6 OF the Burlingam
treaty.
President Hays declared that the
power of making new treaties or of
modifying existing treaties is not
lodged by the constitution In congress
but in the president with the advice
and consent of congress as shown by
the concurrence of two-thirds of that
body
THE merchant marine act was ap-
proved June in the final rush of the
seasons close, with no opportunity to
suggest its revision To have vetoed
the act would have sacrificed the
great number of sound and enlighten-
ed provisions which il contains. Fur
thermore, the fact that one section
of the law involves element OF illegal
ity rendering the section imperative,
need not affect the validity and opera
ton OF the act as a whole"